When Darkness Falls
by CorinnetheAnime
Summary: Zarc's defeat marked the end of the Interdimensional War, but his presence still gripped the people in great fear. However, a new war is coming, and an old enemy from the past, one stronger than the Supreme King himself, threatens to destroy everything. Now Zarc is up against his own demons and new alliances must be made. Will he rise in victory when Darkness falls?
1. Prologue: The Final Plan

**Hey, CorinnetheAnime is back! After a long hiatus, I am here with a new story. One story. This will be my single focus for this account. My Voice of Freedom is being handled by Donjusticia (with my help) and I'm redoing the whole ZarcxRay idea with a more serious tone than the parody universe. This is a very grave story, and most of the plot stems from an idea I had for quite a while now. If you wish to know the full extents of it, I have a Google Plus page (Corinne The Anime) that features art, posts, etc, and will have the origin of the story there.**

 **Anyway, onto summaries and ratings. :)**

 ** _Quote: Not all angels of light are good, nor are monsters of the dark all evil. If things were that black and white, why, this world would never even exist in the first place. However, there will come a day when that will be the case, when the Light will rise and the Darkness falls once and for all...that will be the day when you will fall, Zarc._**

 **Rating: High PG-13/Teen for murder, attempted murder, extreme violence and gore, death, mental torture/psychological distress, character death, and two cases of implied attempted rape.**

 **As a Christian, I stand that this is a very serious story, and that there are matters that I will be portraying here that are of a very sensitive and controversial nature. I will be handling these matters as the grave and serious sins they are, so I am warning the viewers now. If you are sensitive or uncomfortable with any of the following topics that will be featured here, please stop here at this point. Read this story at your own discretion. And also, this is a TRAGEDY. There will be some major character deaths, and it will be heart-breaking. You have been warned, if you are faint of heart or of stomach, DO NOT READ THIS STORY.**

 **Until next time, enjoy.**

* * *

 _In the very beginning, before there was either man or animal, before there were skies or land or seas, before there were even stars, suns or any celestial bodies orbiting in the vast universe, before there was even the idea and limits of time and space...there were only two forces, two entities of unknown origins._

 _They alone existed in the quiet of the empty universe, the ancient supreme beings. Having_ _no known beginning, nor any end, they were instead eternal deities, one of good and the other of evil. Yin and yang. Dark and Light. Benevolence and malevolence. Balance existed between them._

 _They were the first and greatest gods for many millennia; all else came after them, whether material or spiritual. Lesser deities and spirits branched out from their ancient roots, also carrying out their own roles in the newly born universe for many years. But they had conflicting goals._

 _In comparison to all else, these two deities were all-powerful, surpassing above all else in existence. With one as the creator of vast worlds and the other as the destroyer, there was an eternal battle between the two that lasted since the birth of time. They wrestled and turned in endless conflict with one another, always in opposition, warring each other by their clashing natures, with one of creation and peace and the other of hatred and endless destruction. Age by age their world-shattering fights never ceased, and the creation laying vulnerable beneath their influences suffered and groaned as a result._

 _That was the cycle of life in the old days, full of strife and conflict. The ancient gods respected one and hated the other, or made the evil their master and opposed the force of good. The gods started to battle each other, further dividing the hierarchy of the ancient deities._ _It became increasingly difficult for any sentient life to live in peace without taking a side._

 _But the destroyer had to be defeated no matter what. Later in time, it_ _was named by many as the Light of Ruin, crafty and cunning in all of its ways. A celestial serpent of a sharp tongue, almost none matched its wiles and schemes to overthrow the enemy. Even the other evil gods, subjected to its power and influence, feared it greatly. They possessed no desire to confront its scorching power and hate lest they get burned._

 _For centuries it deceived others with a cloak of purity and holiness and all that is good, hiding its true nature. Inwardly it was wicked, destructive and wrathful, a creature of pure malice, a machine driven by hatred. It hate towards everything was so powerful that it eradicated anything it touched. It was a devil in disguise of an angel, evil under a façade of good and holiness._

 _Everything that passed through its sun-like rays, hoping to bathe in its glory and beauty with promises of immortality and power, were immediately burned and scorched to smoke and crisps. All that gazed upon its full glory were instead blinded forever. It spoiled what was good, and corrupted right to wrong with its twisted words. As a tsunami that washed a city away to piles of rubble and dirt amidst the waves, so was the fierce Light of Ruin that sought to obliterate all in its insatiable, never-ending path. It was_ the _god of destruction._

 _No mortal could ever stand in its way. Civilizations, whole worlds, galaxies, all were inevitably devoured by its monstrous appetite, never satisfied. It raged against any organism, object, celestial body, and force that challenged and "mocked" its very existence._

 _And so it did. Again and again it toiled towards its goal, never stopping, never resting, till all that remained was itself and only itself. It boasted in its overwhelming strength and challenged all the other gods to fight, spreading discord across them. However, to fight against this chaotic light, against an indestructible force, a different entity with nobler, gracious intentions gathered its strength and braced itself and the universe from its relentless attacks._

 _This was the great and gentle-natured Darkness, a creative, merciful and kinder force, one that provided peace instead of war, life instead of death, and hope instead of despair. It was calm and quiet, meek yet strong and untameable, and benevolent. What the Light sought to destroy, the Darkness instead chose to create and protect, being the order to its enemy's chaos._ _Worlds were spoken into existence, both the physical universe and the spiritual kingdoms, and the god ruled over both. It was the highest existence, God in all of his dark glory, with intentions and motives both good and right for itself and for all. It was the only entity powerful enough to stop the Light, to match its strength and power in every way, and for many millennia that was exactly what it did._

 _Every age that passed by, at times when the barrier of space and time grew weak between worlds, the two powerful enemies would clash and fight in an endless war. At first they started off in equal strength and power, but then something changed. The Light would grow stronger and stronger as it influenced the world with hate, and the Darkness would only weaken after each encounter. Eventually, it grew to such a heart-pounding, amazing climax where the Darkness grew incredibly vulnerable due to the corruption, unable to defend its creation for much longer without suffering a deadly blow from the Light._

 _Wars erupted between man and spirit, and bloodshed was commonplace. This went against the Darkness' nature, and man's perceptions of its "evil" was starting to corrupt it. To save its own fate and the world's, the entity_ _needed an external vessel upon which to focus all of its power on (as the Darkness had no physical body of its own), a single mortal soul with a willing heart that could take its essence without consequence._

 _After much contemplation and waiting until the right time, the answer came in the helpless, mortal form of a human boy, one who would use the force to stop the Light once and for all. It was unthinkable, that an almighty being who created the whole universe would fuse itself with such a weak and pitiful creature._

 _But that human boy, with those blazing and fiery golden eyes, the first Supreme King, was born into the world, a beacon of hope that would fight against the enemy and its influence. And with the power of the Darkness inside him, h_ _e came unseen, unheard, and unknown._

 _The Light was unaware of this astounding change._

 _Burdened with the weight of the Gentle Darkness's omnipotent power, destined to be the one to solely stop the Light or else perish, the vessel was not granted an easy life through this. He groaned under the pressure of the god's presence and the evil of the world which pushed against him; no young mortal could handle the sheer strength of it all. Nevertheless, once he was of age, the plan of the Darkness worked effectively, and the Light was caught by surprise when it faced not the inky black abyss of its massive foe, but rather the smaller form of a mortal man with the same, unrivaled strength and heart._

 _The king changed the world and freed it from the corruption, thus affecting the Light._ _With all of the sheer might of the Gentle Darkness dwelling inside a smaller vessel, its foe was unable to fight back against the amazing concentration of power. Through the Supreme King came a victory for the forces of good, as well as another age of darkness and justice that would protect the mortal and spirit worlds from evil. The other gods were also subjected under the rules and authority of the Darkness, and those who opposed its power, desiring to cause more havoc, were sealed away._

 _Justice was finally served. Peace existed once more, and the Light was left in more hatred than ever before._

 _Its pride wounded, the entity lashed against its enemy and brooded over its own defeat, not solely for defying its power. The black god DARED to use an inferior lifeform, a piece of DIRT formed from the earth, to foil its plans. How dare the Darkness mock its power and glory by using SCUM?!_

 _It was UNFORGIVABLE!_

 _Even with the Darkness' choice of using a vessel, it didn't stop the Light from confronting them again and again, determined more than ever to take them down permanently. The universe continued to cycle through eras of peace and war as the two enemies battled tenaciously for control._

 _Age after age came a new ruler reincarnated by the Darkness, his shoulders burdened for one purpose: a life of battle against the ancient foe. Soon the danger of the Light led to the vessels needing protectors so as to keep them safe from early exposure to its attacks, which came in the form of various fiends that dwelled the earth. They were poisoned by the Light and its nature to do its bidding, prisoners to its will to end the vessel prematurely._

 _Among the first of the king's protectors was the legend of Haou and his guardian, Yubel. Others were less willing to succumb to it, or even unaware of the powers that they inwardly possessed, as was the case of the most recent Supreme King, Judai Yuki._

 _But no matter what, their purpose was always the same: to stop the Light from destroying the Darkness and all that it created, break its control on the universe, and to bring an era of peace and safety. That was their only reason to live. And those who fulfilled it died shortly afterwards._

 _At one point in history, in the previous battle of the two gods, the power of the deity through the Supreme King was able to imprison the Light between the fabrics of space and time itself. The god was bound in strong chains composed of darkness and then hurtled into the spiraling abyss, the one place where nothing could escape, not even light itself. To further seal its fate, the sacred Darkness split the one power that could release the Light._

 _Due to the nature of its prison, the Light's control on the universe and spirits significantly weakened, and the shining devil vowed in unholy anger that someone would find the power needed to break it free from its prison in the next allotted age. It used the same trick: that a mortal, corrupted and cursed with its power, would defeat the Supreme King and take his throne for all eternity._

 _The prophecy was set right before it was fully sealed, the key to its prison having being divided and scattered among the vast universe._

 _Even with its foe finally under control, its wrathful vow troubled the Darkness greatly. It took action to make sure that no mortal would physically be able to enter the inter-dimensional realm where the Light was imprisoned, no matter how powerful they may be physically. However, there was no stopping their future conflict; the black hole wouldn't last forever, no matter how strong it was._

 _And so, all of time came crashing down to this last battle, the pinnacle of the war between the forces of good and evil, of Darkness and Light, the final fight that determined the fate and future of gods, men, and spirits..._

 _Soon the age of the new Supreme King arrived swiftly, as the vulnerable newborn with gold eyes pierced the air with his shrill cries and shrieks. The last known vessel in the era of mankind had come._

 _The Light had had enough of its countless defeats and cowardice flees, still enraged at being trapped in its own cage with no success in escaping. So with the little influence it had on the world and its inhabitants, it waited and waited for the right mortal to corrupt with its limited power, concocting a plan so cruel and dastardly, a plan so incredibly unforgivable, a plan to break free from its prison and make sure that the Darkness and its vessel would be defeated once and for all..._

 _A plan to have the Supreme King destroy the Gentle Darkness himself._

 _And then, one day...the Light found its willing vessel._

* * *

 ** _In each dimension, there are four boys, each possessing a dragon,_**

 ** _But they all give way for the evil inside them as it awakens,_**

 ** _His blazing gaze set on burning everything to the ground..._**

* * *

 **I'm going with a short prologue just to give a brief introduction and exposition of what we're dealing with here. I'm bringing back the Gentle Darkness and the Light of Ruin into this story, because I think it would be interesting to have them involved in Arc-V. So expect some huge plot twists and all that as we move onward.**

 **Also, here is the first question: how will the Gentle Darkness and Light of Ruin be involved in the story?**

 **Till next time, this is CTA out, and God is good! :)**


	2. Extended Prologue: The King's Fate

**Updated on January 3, 2019: Made a lot of revisions on minor details to this chapter and the previous one, especially with dialogue.**

 **Alright, here is the next chapter. Actually, this is the second part of the prologue; we're not in chapter one yet. For this chapter, I'm doing more personal exposition, some past revealing, to set the mood of the story and to let you guys know what you're going into, as well as to introduce the villain that we're dealing with here. :)**

 **Warning: there is tragedy in this chapter. I made the villain to be as despicable, cruel, basically...you will hate him probably more than Leo. I made sure of that. He is downright evil in every way, and...there is also death in this chapter. Oh, boy...**

 **Also, huge thanks to GhostKid33 (YAY, SHE HAS A FANFICTION ACCOUNT), who has a Google Plus account and has helped me a lot with this story over the past few months. We're doing RPs of certain scenes to get an idea of how it would flow, including this one. Please check her out and thank her for that. And also, feel free to check out my Google Plus page (Corinne The Anime), as there is fanart of Arc-V, random posts, and all sorts of fun stuff that I think you'll like.**

 **Anyway, onward to the second half of the prologue! And enjoy! :D Forgive my writing style if it has changed; I haven't written a whole lot in the past few months outside of RPs.**

* * *

 _It was nightfall, past twilight in the proud and colorful metropolis of the Original Dimension. The night was young and lively, the crisp air soothing many creatures to sleep. But the nocturnal beasts, those who went by wing or claw were out and about, scuttling in nature's depths for a small morsel of food or company for the dark hours ahead._

 _But there was also a light, a faint glow within the rising beautiful dark. To say that the largest, most advanced city in the world, known as the United World, shined like a diamond with all of its splendor was an understatement. Nothing in heaven or on earth matched its dazzling glory. The lights of the buildings alone gleamed brighter than all of the constellations in the jeweled sky._

 _ _Cars and trucks zoomed and beeped in traffic down the highways, nearing the end of the night rush hour. People walked to and fro from one destination to another casually, each chattering among their own groups, talking on their phones, or keeping to themselves in seclusion as their shoes echoed against the sidewalk pavement. Stores were closing down for the late evening, with their owners leaving to their homes with the key. Gangs and street kids hid in the thick shadows, making notorious thievings and dealings in the corners and alleys that no timid soul would dare think to enter. Higher businessmen and women who ruled over most of the political and economic system engaged in drinking and partying at night clubs and casinos, either not having a care in the world or being too drunk and merry to worry about what tomorrow had in store.__

 _But amidst all the orderly chaos and rambunctiousness that bustled throughout the lit-up city, there was a sense of peace and tranquillity as well. Families in the smaller and quieter suburbs tucked their children into bed, went stargazing, or played late-night games with visiting relatives. One family in particular celebrated the joy of having a new loved one inside their humble, cozy home._

 _The mother, a young woman with fair beauty and a kind heart, watched on fondly with warm eyes as her barely-turned three-week-old son, her firstborn, rested in her arms, cooing softly with a peaceful expression on his relaxed features. Swaying slowly in the wooden rocking chair in the child's bedroom, she sung a lullaby that helped the infant fall asleep, enjoying every tender and loving moment with him._

 _The scene was simple yet wholesome. A mother deeply loving her dear child, one that she had conceived, birthed and nursed with high hopes that he would grow into a sweet, innocent and gentle person. They were untouched by the fleeting cares or carnal pleasures of the world. Keeping him snug and warm against her breast, she cradled her baby with deep love swelling in her heart, singing softly to soothe his whimpers to slumber._

 _The moon started to rise in the sky, crescent-shaped and bathing the world with its soft and milky light. The bedroom became a little brighter beneath it, the moonlight nearly shining on the young family solely._

 _"And I will sail my vessel, until the river runs dry..." Her soothing voice, mixed with the religious hymn that her own parent used to sing to her when she was a child, was hypnotizing and melodic, sweet music to his ears and soul. He loved hearing her voice, feeling her warmth spread around his little body and easing his mind. She was his comfort; he felt completely safe and relaxed in her arms._

 _With a cute wiggle of his arms, the baby yawned and closed his eyes, curling himself towards his mother and gripping her shirt loosely for warmth with chubby fists. She smiled before kissing him on the forehead, waiting for her baby to be in a deep, relaxing sleep before placing him gently in his crib._

 _Eventually, the sound of a front door opening and closing from inside the house was heard, followed by the usual click of the lock. The woman perked up with relief and joy. Her husband was finally home._

 _Soon afterwards, the father of the happy family entered the room, a handsome man in his mid-twenties with a strong resolve and gentle nature much like his wife. He had returned from his occupation residing across the city, and walked up to the much-needed heartwarming scene of his wife and their son spending some time together before bed. A fatigued look drooped itself onto his face, but that exhaustion soon dissipated into a genuine, comforting joy upon seeing his wife and newborn child spending some time together. Placing his work briefcase down besides the door, he paused to take the seemingly magical moment in, a gentle grin gracing his calm features._

 _"I see that he's doing well," he inquired, slowly moving up to them and placing an arm around her shoulders. "How are you today, dear?"_

 _The woman smiled lovingly at her husband, yawning a high-pitched whine herself. "A little tired, but other than that I'm feeling quite well." She gazed down at their sleeping bundle of joy in his crib, her dark green eyes filled with motherly love. "I'm just tucking our little one in for bed right now, since he had a busy day too."_

 _"He did, huh? Must've tired himself out."_

 _"He's already trying to move around and explore despite being only a few weeks old." She shook her head from the fond memories._

 _Chuckling softly, his eyes met the moon in the sky from the one window in the room. "Although it is getting rather late..." A playful smirk warped itself onto the husband's soft features, while he squeezed his hand firmly on her shoulder. "Would you like to have me provide you something to eat or drink before we retreat to bed? I'll make your favorite tea, black jasmine."_

 _He gave a subtle wink from the last statement, a slight mischievous twinkle in his eyes._

 _Sensing his playful side, the woman giggled and was willing to reply with a_ _gentle "Yes," but then stopped in her words. Her mate looked dreadfully tired, almost like an undead zombie, despite trying not to show his own discomfort for her sake._

 _I_ _t must've been another long day at work for him, judging by his hunched over posture as well as the worn features on his face. Only his eyes, even though they were drooped to half-mast and slightly sunken in with bags prominent underneath, retained their usual mirth. Concealing his fatigue, it was enough for her (she could stare in them all night if possible)._

 _Softly chuckling from her throat, she shook her head and turned down his offer for his own sake. "No, thank you. I don't want to burden your day any more than it already has."_

 _"You're not a burden, honey!" he replied almost too hastily, eyes wide in surprise. "I'm okay, really. Feeling right as rain."_

 _"You look like you're about to fall over any second." She raised an eyebrow, her grin faint._

 _"Koki, it's alright, it's just been a busy day." A low yawn escaped his throat. "However, it's not hard to make a piping hot cup of tea for my lovely wife."_

 _"How long have you worked at the company today, dear?" Her gaze shifted, showing concern for him that was impossible to miss. "You know I don't like it when you spend many hours in the company's projects if it's compromising both your health and precious time with us. A little break to regain some strength won't hurt."_

 _He smiled knowingly; this was not the first time she asked him to take a day off._

 _"That will all change very soon." They had this conversation a few times beforehand, not that it bothered him at all. She was right in one sense; his work was taking up a lot of his time and energy away from home, away from her and their son, and it pained his heart that he wasn't able to provide as much quality time with his family as he desired. The man admired much of his wife's concerns for his wellbeing, more than thankful for her support and care whenever he was tired or grumpy._

 _And since they only just had their firstborn son a very short while ago, a few weeks to be precise, the man had a new reason to stay home as much as he can. The child needed a father as much as a mother, someone who would be home to raise him into a strong, good leader. He wanted to be with his family, but...they weren't doing well financially, and his work was their only source of income to pay for all of the bills._

 _His wife took care of their son day and night whenever he needed a parent, and was still recovering her_ _strength from the late pregnancy and labor. For the time being, he was the only one who could pay the bills. It would only be for a few months before things will change, he did promise that, but they will change for the better._

 _Despite the current challenges dividing his time, his first priority was always supporting his family. "My superior has plans for this next project, a big one. He said it's going to be worth the time and effort, that it will revolutionize the technology era of this world. I and a few other employees will be getting a sizable raise and more vacation time if we do the work and help finish it. I'll then be able to spend more time with you, dear, and our son."_

 _She perked slightly from hearing this, but stayed silent._

 _"Besides..." His gaze softened even more, gray eyes watching over the sleeping bundle in the cradle. "I don't want to be the kind of father who neglects his own family for something vulgar like money. Our situation will change soon."_

 _The woman pursed her lips, contemplating his words. However, he could see a hopeful gleam in her eyes instead of doubt, her spirits lifted from his resolve. "Only for a little longer, right?"_

 _"It's a small price to pay for now, but I promise things will get much better, dear," he reassured in a gentle voice. "I trust Mr. Akaba on it, since he's a man of integrity. He'll keep his word."_

 _"That's good. I'm happy for you, Ryuu. I just hope..."  
_

 _"Yes? What is it?"_

 _She looked down at their child, who was whimpering softly in his peaceful state since she abruptly paused the lullaby to lower him in the crib. "I hope that whatever happens in the future, we don't lose what we have now for his sake. Not the moments we have, the memories we share...the love we have for each other as a family."_

 _"That will never fade away, dear," the man hummed contently, pulling his beloved closer to him as he kissed her cheek, gazing lovingly at the sleeping infant. "I have high aspirations for our son, that he will grow into a fine young man who might change the world. But the future can wait. For now...let's enjoy the moment and_ _have another peaceful night together, Koki."_

 _He reached a hand down into the crib, running his fingers through the baby's silky gray hair, an affection that the infant felt and enjoyed in his light sleep. A happy coo escaped his throat from the gentle touch of his father's fingers, snuggling up in his little blanket that Koki had draped over his body._

 _"This all feels like a dream." Koki herself rested her head on the husband's shoulder as the infant whined softly in subconsciousness from his touch. "I don't know why, it just seems that way."_

 _Ryuu raised an eyebrow. "A dream?"_

 _"Yes. I love it when we get to share moments such as this together. It's so magical. Unreal."_

 _"Agreed."_

 _Koki shifted her gaze down at the sleeping babe, who was sucking his thumb, his features completely relaxed. It was an absolutely adorable sight that made her heart flutter. "He certainly has your good looks."_

 _"But he has your gentle spirit." The father leaned his head over hers, his gray eyes relaxing their gaze._

 _Her muscles relaxing against his form, the woman breathed a quiet sigh of peace and relief. "I'm glad you're here for tonight, for this moment."_

 _Ryuu couldn't help but smile wider, kissing her forehead. "I love sharing them with you and our little one here too. I'd never experienced so much overwhelming joy in my life except when I'm with you..."_

 _Koki reached up and caressed her husband's cheek as she gazed fondly at their son. "You know, he looks so beautiful when he sleeps like that. It's like he's locked out of the world around him." She giggled softly, seeing his limbs wriggle under the blanket. "I wonder what he's dreaming about..."_

 _The man leaned into her touch, feeling the bedroom lights around them dim a bit. The world started to fade from view and his family as they focused in on their moment. "The calm is perfect and peaceful for us. We don't get tender reunions like this very often. If only it could last forever..." He smiled widely, rubbing her shoulder._

 _All of time slowed down around them, the seconds becoming like long hours that ticked by. It was a beautiful moment that they treasured in their hearts as much as possible, one filled with nothing except love and peace for the young yet growing family. Nothing else mattered to them. It was as if all was right with the world, with no harm or trouble existing in that time, that second, for them. Just them._

 _It was perfect. Beautiful._ _Wholesome._

 _ _However, it was sadly not meant to be. Fate had a way of interrupting even the most tranquil of times with the worst of nightmares...__

 _Unbeknownst to the loving couple and their child, a stranger of mysterious and dangerous origins had steadily approached the home from afar, staying within the shadows and the silence, their sinister smile ever widening into a cruel, dastardly leer. Maliciousness followed their every step, and bloodlust gripped their black heart, filled to the brim with vindictiveness towards one particular family member..._

 _It was out to murder their sweet, innocent child._

 _A merciless spirit of a dark past, the stranger walked up the front with an aura of light dancing around like a white, furious fire, slipping intangibly right through the locked door without making the slightest sound. His shoes made no echo against the wooden floorboards, save for a soft thud here and there._

 _And all the while, the married pair was clueless of the danger as the temperature in the house_ _started to drop from the sheer presence of the evil. The lights in the kitchen, dining room, den, one by one faded out. Evil bared its fangs, focused on the lone occupied room in the home..._

 _Koki reached down and stroked the baby's cheek with one of her index fingers, feeling the warmth radiating on his skin. He smiled softly in his sleep and whined out a little, high-pitched yawn, tilting his head instinctively toward her hand. It was an innocent and adorable gesture, and the mother's smile widened in love. "I wish all of life could be as picture perfect as this, Ryuu."_

 _The father gently tilted her chin up towards him, mesmerized by the glow in her eyes. "Me neither, my love."_

 _He leaned in and kissed her in a slow and soft manner, pouring all his love and affection into her, their hearts filled with complete bliss. Eyes fluttering closed, Koki turned fully towards him, wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed the nape, humming contentedly as she deepened the kiss. He pulled her flush against his chest, breaking apart for air._

 _Being too focused in each other and their conjoined love, the couple failed to hear the sound of footsteps walking inside their home. The stranger scoffed to himself after scrutinizing the simplicity of the rooms, the floorboards moaning and creaking quietly under his feet. This home was too...simple. T_ _oo cozy._

 _Too full of nostalgia._

 _He hated that sickening feeling in his gut._

 _A pair of pale purple eyes glowed with ominous intent in the shadows of the hallway, and a booming chuckle rumbled through the walls to set the unaware inhabitants on edge. Perhaps he could perform a couple tricks to change the atmosphere and spice things up a bit, to ease a bit of his boredom._

 _The lights in the kitchen flickered to life briefly, and then went out all at once with a loud pop, leaving the house almost completely dark. Chuckling to himself, the intruder stayed invisible in the shadows lest the couple should leave the room at any time. The atmosphere grew colder and colder, as the danger crept closer and closer to the unsuspecting innocents..._

 _He cared less about the parents than the baby. However, if they decided to get in his way in order to protect that hellspawn, the home will have no survivors._

 _As if on cue, Ryuu heard the nearby dark rumbling resounding inside the home. He grew concerned and somewhat frightened of the malice that was present in the air, alert of the great danger. The air was getting a little cold too..._

 _"Koki...were we expecting anyone tonight?" He shivered under his clothes, feeling goosebumps crawl on his skin. "At this late hour?"_

 _"No..." Koki looked up at him, confused by the sudden question. "At least, I don't think so. Who in their right mind would come to us tonight?" When he didint respond, his_ _apprehensive posture and uncharacteristic fear left her concerned, her heart racing quickly against her chest. "Ryuu, what's wrong? Is someone here?"_

 _"I think so..." The male kept the room still and quiet for a few seconds, save for the baby's occasional coos in his sleep. The low rumbles died away, but the evil presence inside the house left a great chill in the room. He shivered, knowing that in his heart..._

 _Something was very, very wrong._

 _Koki glanced over at the bedroom door, looking out toward the hallway over the threshold warily. She felt "I don't hear anyone moving around. Are you sure it's not a draft or something?" Her goosebumps appeared on her bare arms and shoulders from the drop in heat, making her rub them together for some warmth. It was an unnatural cold, one that left her more exhausted than awake, even if she still had her night clothes on along with having a blanket draped over her form._

 _"I can't shake this feeling off in the gut, though..." The man shook his head, attempting to reassure himself with a false hope. "It could be the cold air like you said. But something just doesn't seem right..."_

 _"I hope the door or a window isn't open. If something or someone is here, then maybe it's an animal that snuck into the house by accident." His wife also held up her own hopes, feeling and knowing for the worst. The possibility of such a thing happening was slim to nothing, especially in their location of a nice suburban neighborhood, which was supposed to be the safest one in the city. They had no incidents with stalkers of thieves and were extra careful to lock their cars and house._

 _It left an unshakeable fear gripping her heart, one that wouldn't go away anytime soon. Ryuu himself was certain he had locked the front door._

 _What was going on?_

 _They took a brief pause._

 _"I'll go check it out," he replied in a calm tone to mask his true feelings, but his wife sensed his unease. Approaching the closed bedroom door slowly, his hand reached for the knob, the nerves quivering slightly against the muscles. "Just stay here with the baby, alright?"_

 _The stranger heard the muffled voices of the couple from inside the room and paused in his straight path, waiting for the right moment as he frowned. "Great, they decided to investigate."_

 _Koki stepped forward then, her eyes filled with concern as she placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him briefly just as he turned the knob. "Please be careful. I have a really terrible feeling about this, too."_

 _Ryuu nodded with complete seriousness, opening the door ajar with a slow groan on its golden hinges. He peered into the hallway, seeing nothing at first inside the abyss of darkness...until a pair of purple eyes glowed brightly from only a few feet away._

 _Their shine was inhumane, the pupils almost a bright white._

 _In great shock the father's limbs shook, immediately and bravely placing himself between the stranger and his wife as he opened the door all the way. "Who are you? And why are you in my house?!" Despite his bravado façade, his wide eyes and body shudders exposed all of his worst fears before the evil figure hidden in the darkness._

 _Koki immediately became alertive, seeing the bright glow over her husband's shoulder and trying to peek over him to see the stranger. "What's wrong, dear? Who is that outside the door?"_

 _The stranger chuckled darkly, stepping forward more into the light of the room to reveal himself as a man around Ryuu's age, perhaps slightly younger. He had a pale face, a small grin baring a pair of sharp fangs like a vampire's, and bright blond hair that hung in random directions on his head. The glow in his purple eyes shined brighter as he raised a hand, glowing with his mighty, destructive power._

 _"I have no time or desire to speak with you or your mate, so please step aside."_

 _His tone was low and ominous, filled with malice that sent a shiver down the man's spine. And his eyes_ _—the dark and menacing gaze in those purple eyes—_ _petrified the terrified inner soul and left him backing away slightly._

 _Something about this person was unnatural, inhumane even._

 _Nevertheless, Ryuu stood his ground, slowly reaching for his briefcase to use as a weapon. A clobber to the head should leave this thing unconscious long enough. "Get out of my house, you hear me? I'll call the cops!"_

 _The stranger had the audacity to smirk from the man's_ _warning. His will was wavering, so why try to keep up the brave face? Threatening to sic the cops on someone like him?_

 _How quaint. "How about you stay out of my way, and I might let you see tomorrow's dawn. But if you continue to resist, you'll leave me no choice but to literally force my hand." The power in his palm continued to shine, lashing out in erratic patterns like lightning._

 _ **A death threat.** His intentions were clear. _

_Curiosity peaked, Koki cautiously stepped forward and glimpsed at the face of the stranger, making sure to keep herself near the baby as her eyes widened in fear at the sight of his evil grin, wicked gaze and overflowing power. "Who...who are you?! What are you?!"_

 _The stranger's laughter only increased in volume, resounding throughout the quiet home as he turned his palm outward, charging up a blast to kill them both in one fell swoop. "I'm an old acquaintance."_

 _"You're trespassing." A dark fury swelled in Ryuu's heart. "We have no relations or business with you, so leave."_

 _"Well, I have business with a particularly new member of your family." Anger rolled off the creature's form in waves, his sick jolly having dissipated. "This is a personal matter between me and him. Hope you both can understand."_

 _Ryuu glared back, gritting his teeth. "Whoever you are, you will not lay even a finger on my family, especially my SON! SO GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" He clenched his fists._

 _"Step aside, sir," the stranger repeated, his voice almost monotone. It sent a chill up Ryuu's spine, but he didn't care._

 _"Over my dead body!"_

 _"Very well. That can be arranged." The father gasped softly in shock._

 _Seeing right through his murderous motives, the man instinctively grabbed his wife and pulled her behind his form, his voice urgent. He opened the door all the way to swing his briefcase at the intruder._

 _He failed to notice the figure had anticipated his attack. "Koki, take Zarc and run! _N—!"__

 _However, before he could finish the last word, before either innocent soul could step forward and stop the intruder, there was a bright flash of light that filled the entire room, followed by the sounds of two screams. The echoes of their horrified souls rang through the air before dying down into the empty silence, leaving a soft thumping to the floor._

 _Looking down callously at the parents, the man sneered with venom in his tone, "Well, you got your wish. Now, if you may please excuse me..."_

 _Barely hearing the unknown and ominous man's voice, the young infant left behind in the disaster sensed the imminent danger and bitter coldness inside the room, making him whimper and arouse from his once peaceful sleep. His eyes were still scrunched shut, and his limbs wriggled against the blanket he was swaddled up in._

 _The supernatural killer casually stepped over the fallen bodies and stalked toward the baby crib in the room, where the infant started shivering out of fear and the cold. He wriggled helplessly in the blankets, his whimpers sounding on the verge of crying._

 _With sharp purple eyes and twisted, hateful lips, the man glared down coldly at the young infant, clicking his tongue in mock ruth. "So this is the new king...the Darkness chose poorly to dwell in a demonic vessel this time."_

 _ _The baby shuddered, whining sadly.__

 _ _"You ruined my life, you and your wretched demon kind. I'm here in this awful world because of you..."__

 _ _A soft whimper escaped the infant, a sign that he was about to cry. This malicious evil presence scared him right down to his core, somehow knowing that his life was in danger.__

 _ _Where were his parents?__

 _ _Why couldn't he hear their voices anymore?__

 _ _Why weren't they stopping this monster?__

 _The stranger stared at the child with a studious glare. "So small, so innocent...and yet so **weak.** Such a shame. I've expected more from my foe to do better, but they had to choose you. Too bad it had to end like this..."_

 _With a crazed gleam in his purple eyes, the man raised his hand as the energy of his power swirled inside his palm once more. He was prepared to end the baby's life in one blow when immediately, as if on cue, a sudden flash of light caught the corner of his eye. The flash grabbed his full attention on the spot._

 _His pupils narrowed in thin slits like a feline's. "The Darkness already created the guardians?"_

 _He_ _glanced over at the source, noticing a tidy deck of stacked cards on a nearby wooden table; however, of the entire deck, there were four certain cards, recognized with having the images of elemental dragons on them, that shined brightly in the pile._ _They growled a low warning at him to stay away from the young child._

 _The stranger immediately hissed; he recognized their kind and remembered their deeds, and it made his blood boil from the though of it. "Dragons...of all the creatures in the world to protect this little king."_

 _He hated the fire-breathing spirits of the skies more than almost any other living creature, who normally preyed upon the weak and helpless. From experience he deduced that it was their nature to destroy and ravage, all to sate their monstrous appetites. They cared little about anything else._

 _So why would there be dragons, of all creatures, guarding the boy? Unless..._

 _He paused again in the gravid tension of the moment, his arm hesitating over the edge of the crib, as he contemplated the changing situation._

 _What was once a simple and easy goal had now turned into perhaps a devious plan with a clandestine execution, one that he had little objection of rejecting. Was it necessary? Not likely. Was he prolonging the boy's fate? Perhaps._

 _However, his heart was still corrupted with mickle amounts of hatred towards the infant, the vessel of his enemy, greatly tempted to end him right then and there without further delay. A part of him wanted to have the source of all his troubles over with. With the king dead, nobody else would control him._

 _It was such a tempting idea. Kill the boy, be free of the burden, no longer be left in fear of his abilities. He had the power and will to do so._

 _Lost in his thoughts and second-guessing his actions for a brief moment,_ _the stranger cocked his head curiously at the infant._ _"Why should I let you live? I have you in my clutches now, my sworn enemy. Your kin did so many horrible things against my people, so it would only be right for me to pay retribution." He turned back to the infant, who opened his eyes to reveal a pair of bright, golden irises._

 _For some reason, the stranger felt a strange satisfaction in his soul. He was the one in control over this child's life, and the fear in his eyes only sealed his destiny. What a stroke of irony._

 _Somehow, the baby just knew that the man was very dangerous, a threat to his life. He wanted to get as far away from him as possible, no matter what. Wriggling helplessly in the crib, he whimpered softly for his parents, someone, anyone who can help him._

 _The stranger reveled in the terror of his greatest foe. "You're alone, little tyke. Nobody's coming to save you. So die."_

 _Tears welled up in the baby's eyes and trickled down his cheeks at the sight of the dangerous man towering over his crib, the gaze in his malevolent eyes leaving a cold sensation washing over in his form. He shivered harder as his whimpers grew louder in distress, making the man chuckle heartlessly. Upon seeing the glowing unfamiliar hand, with cruel claws flexed at his fingertips, hovering threateningly over his crib, the baby bursted into a cacophony of loud, high-pitched wailing, thrashing around and crying out fearfully for his dead parents. However, he did not know or see their fate; no one was around to help him, to save him from the man's cruel plots to end his life._

 _The loud cries of the infant, alongside the angered roars of the guardians echoing through his ears, caused the villain to sneer venomously. His soul was divided again on whether to kill the source of all his problems as well as the tedious noise, or to spare its meager life to fulfill his plans._

 _But the stranger realized...it was too simple. He didn't want the plan to be executed that easily. Plus, there would be lots of free time on his hands of just waiting around and searching for the key. He didn't want to spend the last thirty-three years mindlessly wandering around for the pieces._

 _A particularly wicked scheme was concocted in his crafty mind, and the glow in his hand died down to nothing._

 _"I know what to do with you," he growled with a leer. "Let's have you suffer, go mad in life...and then destroy yourself and the Darkness in the end. It would be a brutal case of irony, seeing you break down little by little, piece by piece, all alone with no friends, no family, nobody by your side. Having your heart corrupted by the fear and loneliness, seeing that sweet, pure innocence in your eyes turn into the cruelest and coldest villainy the world has ever seen...the thought of it would be all the more entertaining for me to watch. After all...you deserve it."_

 _He straightened up, now glaring coldly at the boy. "Where were you when my people were attacked by your kin? Where was the Darkness when we had to fight day and night for survival? Or when I was used by my father? Or when I was exiled?"_

 _I_ _n a flash, from his shoulders sprouted two pairs of wings, all of them with golden-white feathers and hosting a silver frame, each sporting an uncanny yellow eye at the elbow joint._

 _"You left me and my people to rot, to suffer. So it's only fair for me to provide some payback!" He slashed his claws against the crib, purposefully scaring the child even more. "I'll make sure you'll never experience anything else but pain and hatred."_

 _With haste, he grabbed the newborn and his blanket roughly, in an incogitant manner, seeing the name of the boy sewn into the soft fabric. "_ _Let's begin by paying a visit to a special place, vessel. I hear they have a particularly excellent way of dealing with troublesome, unwanted orphans such as you."_

 _The baby screamed and cried louder at the feeling of the man's long, icy fingers wrapped around him, leaving him shivering more than before and frantic for some warmth and comfort. He flailed with all the strength his little body could muster, desperately trying to break free of the tight grip as his face turned red from the exertion. He cried harder for his parents, wanting them to save him._

 _However, their unresponsive forms left a chill in the atmosphere, their eyes glazed over in death. What was once a peaceful and loving family soon descended into a dark tragedy, leaving behind a helpless orphan ululating in the hands of a sadistic and powerful murderer. With no one around to help or save him, it was all up to the villain to decide his enemy's fate._

 _The man twisted his features into a disgusted look at the sight of the bodies, deciding to "accidentally" blast a nearby wooden floorboard with a spark of light from his wings, starting a small but steadily increasing flame that threatened to burn the room and everything inside it. "Such a shame. You could've have a peaceful life ahead of you with your parents. But...you are the Supreme King."_

 _With a wave of his hand, he forced the baby to sleep in his arm, leaving the form limp in a lulled, dreamless nap. "I've suffered enough from your hand in the past."_

 _Spreading his feathered wings to their full length, the wingspan at least twice his height, the whole room brightened with blinding light like that of the sun's as the man's entire appearance as well as his laughter faded away. His departure left the steadily burning room behind to tear down the whole house and the dead inhabitants inside to rubble and dust._

 _However, wrapped up in his pride and horrible glee, he failed to acknowledge the four glowing cards resting on the wooden furniture, also disappearing along with them as the spirits inside sensed the king's departure. The other cards, the bodies, the legacy of the family, were all left behind to their demise._

* * *

 _As the family home of the infant's former dwelling continued to burn in the suburbs, the man responsible for it and the murder of his parents appeared in a flash of light in front the gates of an old, decrepit looking orphanage, surrounded on all sides by a high fence with security cameras around every corner, crook and nanny, and a large, iron gate bolted behind them, locked and unmovable without the key. It was less of an orphanage and more of a black, metal prison, a jailhouse for younger and more innocent individuals with one way in...and no way out._

 _Several young souls were taken away behind its gates, and many more live in constant fear, without rest._

 _The worst of the worst homes for abandoned and unwanted children, it was the perfect place for the villain to leave the child behind to suffer. The institution kept itself under the radar from the authorities, being left in a secluded location on the outskirts of the city._

 _He scrutinized the orphanage up and down, smirking ever wider after checking that it was the right one while holding the sleeping baby lazily in one arm. "Welcome to your new home. I think you'll have a rather enjoyable experience here." His words were enveloped in a hiss as he chuckled to himself. "But it won't be pleasant in the slightest."_

 _Without much care or thought of the infant's wellbeing, he placed the boy haphazardly down at the front of the door (nearly hitting his head), half-swaddled in his blanket, whimpering softly in his nap. With a rap of his knuckles, the stranger knocked once, twice, thrice upon the metal frame, before stepping back a few steps, looking down once more at the baby with a dark glint in his purple irises._

 _"I spare you just this once, but it will come with a price. Now you must entertain me, Supreme King, if you want to continue living. I can't wait to see you suffer and slowly go mad," he growled, ending his menacing speech with a cackle, "crack under the pressure, the torture, and the pain, and then...your inevitable demise. Become the demon you were destined to be."_

 _With a spread of his four wings, the man's insane chimes ringed into the solemn, tangible air as he rose high into the sky, disappearing for the last time and leaving his enemy on his downward, spiralling path. His plans finally set into motion, his enemy brought down to their lowest point, watching as they went down to their demise and with him having complete control over his life, it left a corrupted, giddy feeling in the villain's heart to see it all unfold in time._

 _However, what the mad villain did not expect as he flew off into the horizon towards the moon were the four cards resting near the baby while hidden away in the tucked folds of the blanket, glowing faintly with the spirits of the guardians inside._

 _The infant, now no longer narcotized from his sleep, whimpered again from the cold draft passing over his half-covered form, nipping at his skin. All he desired now was some warmth, to be in a cozy atmosphere with his family, but he would never receive that joy anymore. With tears welling in his eyes, the baby started crying loudly just as a set of heavy footsteps approached the metal door behind him._

 _As the footsteps echoed louder and louder, the cards inside his blanket shined brightly for a moment, then the heavenly spirits of the guardians, four beautiful and powerful dragons of different shapes and colors, appeared as apparitions before the child with a soft, saddened gleam in their eyes. They towered over the boy with their massive wings and limbs._

 _Whining softly in pity, one of them, a crimson beast distinguished by their heterochromatic red-and-green eyes, bent their long neck downwards to wrap the blanket around the baby more to preserve some warmth, feeling sorrowful for their young master and friend._

 _They were aware of the intruder the moment he entered the home._ _They heard the monster's wretched vow to hurt the king, their hearts burning with unfathomable anger. They wanted nothing more than to attack the intruder and tear him to shreds for even daring to go after the child._

 _And to make matters worse, he had the audacity to blame them and the king for their kind's actions. As if that would justify any of his crimes!_

 _But by their own power, no matter how much they wanted to make the monster pay, the guardians were unable to stop him. They had no physical bodies, only their invisible spirits that watched the tragedy unfold before their eyes. However, they did have just enough strength to keep themselves close to their master, sensing that after everything horrible that had happened within the short timeframe, he would need some companionship...even though they would be forever unseen._

 _However, with such a heavy thought encircling their minds and burdening their souls, the guardians did not notice the baby opening his eyes, looking up to see the faces of his new family. Terrified of their strange and monstrous appearances, inhuman even, his whimpers grew into doleful and frightened wails for his parents, desiring for protection that would never come._

 _The dragons, startled by the baby's cries and surprised by his ability to see them in their current spiritual state, stepped back in shock as he began screaming and flailing in his blankets again. It didn't take long to note that the infant was afraid of them, staring at their faces with wide, teary eyes._

 _The four heavenly beasts felt their hearts shatter into pieces at his rejection, but their eyes were filled with concern and compassion for the defenseless, innocent little bundle before them. He needed help now, more than ever. They weren't experienced parents themselves, having no female mates nor sired any offspring of their own flesh and blood..._

 _But the child had no one else, not without his parents. He would eventually die without them. It was up to them to raise him with the love and care he would no longer receive from his real family, even in a place such as this._

 _The dragons shuddered involuntarily, even though the outside winds didn't affect them; they could sense a dark presence in this "orphanage," something very oppressive and evil lurking inside its doors. I_ _t would be a cruel future in the months and years ahead for the child._

 _The least they could do was to help him endure through it, however they can._ _They would do their best to raise this innocent child._

 _If only he didn't have to suffer this way..._

 _Wanting to first provide some comfort, the dragons carefully stepped forward again, the one with the heterochromatic eyes once more wrapping the baby in his blankets where it had fallen off beforehand from his frantic movements. The other three dragons carefully lowered their heads around the baby and began to coo and purr softly to him, attempting to make themselves appear non-threatening._

 _Despite his loud and brash cries, the baby heard the low rumbles of the dragons, which slowly calmed his nerves and his frantic heartbeats down. He looked up at them with fearful, tear-stained eyes, whimpering for comfort._

 _The innocence in his eyes melted their hearts, and peeling their mouths back into their attempts of smiles (which appeared somewhat terrifying, but they were trying their hardest), the guardians watched over the young king, vowing in their hearts and very souls to protect him from danger for as long as they lived. They would love him if no one else would._

 _The odd-eyed, crimson dragon soon finished wrapping the baby once more in his blanket with care, eying the blue-stitched pattern on one corner. The name imprinted in his memory forever, he growled elatedly with the other beasts, smiling down at the child with a tender, fatherly gaze._

 _However, their meeting was abruptly cut short when the door before them opened with a slam, revealing a stern, middle-aged woman in black drab. She had a stoic, strict presence and a ghastly appearance, one that left any brave soul uneasy to look upon. Her brown eyes were sharp and sunken into her skull, her skin pale white, cheekbones high and prominent, lips thin and cruel, and her black, receding hair tied into a bun._

 _It was the headmistress of the orphanage, a particularly nasty hag who hated children. Whether from past experience or not, nobody knew why she decided to run a place centered around taking care of kids._

 _She scowled around the scenery for the unknown visitor before finding the scared, whimpering baby on the steps. Her nature stern and her heart colder than winter's ice, with a twist of her lips she sneered in disgust, before roughly taking up the baby into her arms and inspecting him as if he were some sort of despicable criminal._

 _"Looks like another abandoned orphan," she noted dully, her gaze hardening. Even her tone was harsh and stern. "No note, no name, no identity. Must've been a dumpster baby."_

 _She slammed the door behind her, her dark brown eyes glazed over in unconcern. "Third one this month. Just what we needed, another problem on our hands from selfish people who don't want to take up responsibility. I bet it was some unlucky woman who got raped and then left you in the trash. Probably couldn't afford an abortion either. You must've been a burden to her."_

 _With a sharp eye, the old had glimpsed at the name in the corner of the blanket. Her expression immediately darkened, her pallid features contorted gruesomely. "Oh, so she left you with a name, a rather stupid one at that. Who in their right mind would ever name their kid Zarc?"_

 _His fate was cruel indeed._

* * *

 _ **With the ancient gears of fate now turning,**_

 _ **The king emerges from his grave**_

 _ **To reign supreme.**_

* * *

 **And done. Now...do you see what I mean by tragedy? And this is only the tip of the iceberg. I have so many plans...for Zarc...oh, boy, I'm probably as devious as the villain (because I'm actually writing this monster of a story).**

 **Anyway, reviews!**

 _ **To Donjusticia: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! Hope you enjoy this extended prologue!**_

 _ **To Shimmering-Sky: Well, here you go. Enjoy the tragedy parts here. And this is just the TIP of the iceberg.**_

 _ **To Ulrich362: Oh, trust me. It WILL get worse. SO much worse. You have a taste of it here in this chapter. Prepare yourself for the story, because you will not survive.**_

 _ **To Epsilon Tarantula: And this prologue is a two-parter! Because...reasons!**_

 _ **To Fenghuang0296: Trust me, I have a plan in mind for him, and it is absolutely despicable. ;)**_

 _ **To Ghostkid33: You know what will happen, GK. ;) We did who knows how many RPs after all...and I enjoyed all of them. Thanks for being such a big help.**_

 _ **To mcdinh: Yup. Now prepare yourself for tragedy.**_

 _ **To ScalchopWarrior: I actually have a very special plan for Ray. Her role is not as obvious as it appears to be... ;) AND STAAYYY FREEESHER.**_

 _ **To Ringo1327: YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT. XD**_

 _ **To Haou: You are close with those answers. But no, Yubel will not be in the story. Zarc's guardians are different in this story.**_

 _ **To KuriMaster13: Oh, wow, do you know the plot or something? Can you read my mind? XD But yes, the Light will be involved in a way that is much deeper and more sinister way than the show gave us.**_

 _ **To Otorina: Again, the Light of Ruin is involved, but its plan is far more sinister than just mere possession, and you will see it soon enough. Trust me, the villain in this is extremely...manipulative, let's just say. And no, Yubel was strictly Judai/Haou's guardian. She is not Zarc's guardian, but he is not alone either. ;)**_

 _ **To Leafeon12: Aw, thanks! Here is the next one!**_

 _ **To aqua9597: Here you go, the next chapter! And yeah, I love them too! Thought it would make for an interesting plot device!**_

 _ **To GXAL: Here you go! :D**_

 _ **To 4fireking: Well, here is my OC in this chapter! And cool!**_

 _ **To DomiTheGamer: Aw, thanks! I'm actually making my graphic novel series on Google Plus! :D**_

 _ **To XYZArtemis: And here is even more intensity! XD**_

 _ **To Guest: AHHHH, THANKS.**_

 _ **To Sanokal: Oh, yes. :) We got some crazy stuff going on in this story.**_

 _ **To Soul of Innocence - Aamuet: And here is more of it! THANKS, FRIENDO!**_

 **And done! Now, onto the question...who is the villain? You can guess the name (unless you already know, then please don't say anything), his motives, etc. I can't wait to see everyone's theories. Till next time, this is CTA out, and God is good!**


	3. Return of the Supreme King

**Sorry for the long wait. I was doing RPs with Ghostkid33 for the past few months, some of them for other scenes of the story that are coming up. Thankfully, the PMs spawned more ideas that will be added to the story (most of them are horrifying and sad), so keep an eye out if you can. I'll also be reediting and updating the previous chapters in this story. :)**

 **And speaking of Ghostkid33, huge shoutout to her for helping me write and edit this chapter. She is a huge Arc-V fan, and has been a tremendous help for me. Please check her out. :3 (I would also love to see your stories, girl.)**

 **Now, this was originally going to be written out in a duel, but that honestly was cut out except for the last few plays and occasional summons. I don't think writing it out would keep the tone as much as simplifying the duel and showing more of the outside, the emotions and actions of the characters themselves. Show, don't tell. :)Also, this IS an AU. The ending IS different, VERY different. :) And for it to happen, I will be keeping one duel mistake that happened in the anime. See if you can spot it.**

 **AND YES, I KNOW THE ORDER OF OPPONENTS IS DIFFERENT HERE THAN IN THE ANIME. BUT TO BE HONEST...IT IS AN AU.**

 **Also, this IS a Zarc-centric story. I will be writing his thoughts and emotions as well as everyone else's, to give a more personal view even though this is 3rd person perspective. Dialogue and whatnot will be a little different from the anime. :) Hope ya enjoy!**

 _ **Arc I: Return of the Supreme Gods**_

* * *

 _"Yuya!_ Speak to us!"

"He can't be gone! Yuya, you're our friend, not a demon! _Teacher, please answer!"_

"He won't lose to you!"

But their efforts were in vain. The companion and friend, the happy-go-lucky, optimistic entertainer the Lancers and allies had come to know and love, was gone. He succumbed to the darkness in his heart, now manifested into the enemy before them. The cries of the faithful companions of the Entertainer duelist remained unanswered to the occupant's ears, no longer their friend anymore.

He wasn't even _human._

What was once a brilliant and warm crimson pair of eyes were now changed to an unearthly, glowing gold with thin slits, similar to a cat's. His skin was cracked with crude, colorless scales, sharp spikes protruded from various parts of his body, and a pair of pitch-black wings were folded behind his back (whether they were designed for flight or not was anyone's guess). The only remains of the former boy were the tattered pair of green pants and brown belt that were filled out by the increased muscle mass of the demon. Remains of the orange shirt laid torn in shreds around his waist.

Zarc stood emotionless, dead-eyed before the two Academia students: Sora, a short, Obelisk Blue soldier with teal-green eyes and light blue hair tied in a spiky ponytail, and his superior, Edo, who was an older, grey-haired teen who was the pride of Academia's forces, a high-ranking general. He only wore his standard uniform to show his defection from the military base.

The demon's posture was partially hunched over, mostly due to the weight of the twisted wings on his back. Yuya's duel disk was strapped to his bulky arm, its duel blade bared threateningly towards the two with a yellow dragon-shaped claw. They were in a middle of a duel, with the Fusion duelists' monsters already on the field as they finished up their turn. He had none due to their efforts to stop him.

The two child soldiers barely managed to suppress his rampage, the hairs on the back of their necks raised in alarm.

They weren't the only ones. Chaos and despair lingered in the air, alongside the horrified cries and screams of humans as they ran for their lives away from the demon. Before the fated battle against the two former Academia soldiers, Zarc was unleashing havoc onto the helpless victims in the Fusion Dimension and the military school itself, becoming responsible for many injuries and deaths of the civilians.

Of course, the worlds were also slowly reuniting into one dimension due to the Arc-V machine Leo Akaba had devised. The skies around them were bathed in various colors and speckled with "stars," as the dimensions were now actively splitting apart across the current space-time...

Still, even with all the madness running loose in the streets, when all hell broke loose due to Zarc's rebirth, the blue-haired student ignored the world falling apart around him and persisted in his cries for his first friend. His teal eyes were wide and flooding with tears in fleeting hope of reaching out to his "teacher."

Yuya wasn't gone, not after all they had been through! He was Sora's best friend and teacher, the one who showed him the light when Academia corrupted his mind. His rank and past no longer weighed him down thanks to the boy's efforts to save him.

So why wasn't his friend responding to him now?

"Yuya, do you remember our first duel together? You told me you duel because you like to bring happiness to people, to make them smile! Please, don't tell me you threw all that away! YUYA!"

 _Please, Teacher, speak to us! Answer me! PLEASE!_

The demon before them didn't react at all.

Edo also joined in, the former general of Academia's soldier calling out to the boy who changed his heart. "Didn't you say that you would change the war through peace, not through hate and anger? You showed me a better way, Yuya, a way that defied Academia's principles for war in means to achieve a utopia! Don't tell me you're now going back on your promises and succumbed to this demon!"

Sora clenched his teeth around the small green lollipop in his mouth. Surely Yuya was still fighting on the inside! He wouldn't give up!

 _He can't be gone!_

"I want that boy back, the one who showed me a better way! Yuya!" Edo nearly screamed. "Listen to our words, our wills!"

The demon's expression was still stoic as a statue, which was unnerving to say the least. No change in emotion whatsoever, not even batting an eye to the former pupil.

There was no sign of their friend in his unnatural eyes.

"YUYA!"

"TEACHER!"

No response at first. There was a pause for a few moments until Zarc, the demon of destruction, started his turn without any other reaction to their words. He smirked cockily as if he had a trick up his sleeve, the first notable expression on his face since his recent revival.

It sent shivers up their spines.

For him this whole duel was rather hilarious and almost childish, feeling pride swell up in his heart. So they really thought they could fight him? Tear him down? Stand up against the Supreme King? Attempt to challenge a _god?_

Zarc let his own pride overwhelm reason, feeling a sense of superiority over those he deemed weak. He was after all unstoppable, his deck acknowledging that. Even now, in this moment the Goddess of Luck was on his side; why else would he have drawn the one card in his Deck that would be the harbinger to his ultimate power?

 ** _"Those who are stupid are unaware of their own mistakes. With what I have in my current hand...I don't know if what I have can be stopped."_**

His pupils narrowed as his eyes glowed a piercing gold, and darkness soon covered his whole body. It was thick, suffocating, and supernatural to the eye, forcing both duelists to step back in fear. They could feel its smothering presence roll off of his body in waves, nearly surrounding the area. Zarc's power slowly expanded as he raised the next card above his head...

 ** _"Omniscient magician who can read and manipulate time, stars, and spacetime! Come down now and give this power to me! Come forth!_ _Astrograph_ ****_Sorcerer_** ** _!"_**

The surrounding citizens and two Fusion duelists were shocked to see the one monster, the sorcerer that turned their comrade into a terrible demon, appear onto the field before then.

"That's the monster who turned Yuya into Zarc!" Sora exclaimed in shock upon recognizing the monster, feeling dread grip his heart. This was not a good sign, not for them.

With his star-speckled cape flowing behind his shoulders, Astrograph, a powerful monster that was a striking fusion of the two Pendulum magicians Yuya originally had, stared hard at them with the same menacing intentions that Zarc had. Its gaze was cold, void of any joy or happiness. Sora and Edo were left in more shock as the monsters that they destroyed on Zarc's field soon returned as if nothing had happened in the first place.

"They're back!"

"But how?" Sora felt a little frustrated despite his growing apprehension.

 _ **"The fun is just getting started!"**_ The same catchphrase used by Yuya when he was about to pull a stellar move sounded much more wrong, twisted, even corrupted when Zarc was in control. With the demon maliciously cackling, things suddenly took a turn for the worse. **_"I tribute_ Astrograph ****_Sorcerer to activate its effect."_**

At his master's command, the magician dissipated into a whirl of sparkles.

Zarc stretched his claws up as the darkness around him thickened, soon shooting straight up to the sky. _**" Astrograph Sorceror, **_**_have them become my food! The four heavenly dragons! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon! Starve Venom Fusion Dragon! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Become out foundation!"_**

Lightning struck the earth. The sky was covered in dark clouds, flowing with crimson electricity as the evil inside started to form within its black embrace. It extended down to the master, who spread his wings and started to soar into the darkness.

 _ **"The**_ ** _ultimate dragon who reigns in the fifth dimension and supervises the four heavenly dragons! Now you will become one with me! Integration Summon! Come forth! Supreme King Dragon Z-Arc!"_**

The foundations of the four dimensions shook and trembled in the presence of the rising god before them. Both heaven and earth bowed in submission before the monster descending from the high realms, with inconceivable power and overwhelming strength; everyone braced themselves for the king that rose before them, as the clouds parted to reveal his great wings that stretched high into Heaven's canopy.

They were majestic and terrifying, the wingspan stretching for at least miles. Then, the blades flapped down, pushing the dark sky away with a thunderous _clap._ Hearts skipped a beat, and the whole universe held its breath as the god of destruction revealed himself.

A terrifying _roar_ echoed through the space separating the four visible dimensions, filled with unquenchable wrath, hatred, and a desire to destroy anything, everything, that stood in his path. Everyone was petrified, gripped with fear from the monstrous view of the powerful and tyrannical Supreme King Dragon Z-Arc, a destructive spirit, a king among both monsters and mortals. His body towered over the remains of the Fusion Dimension's once proud military base and school, Academia.

If anyone were able to regain their bearings, they would acknowledge the dragon as the largest Duel Monster they've laid eyes on in their life.

Zarc came with hellfire and fury for all his victims. Like a force of nature, a hurricane, the black dragon tore the remains of the world apart, with columns of fire many times hotter than the sun itself. People screamed and panicked as the fire literally burned into the buildings and streets, running away from the angered monster as he unleashed havoc upon those he deemed helpless and weak.

It didn't help that some citizens in all four dimensions, upon witnessing his return, suddenly regained their memories of their old home and the dragon who destroyed it. Their hearts quickened in pure fear, beating faster than a frightened rabbit's.

"It's the Supreme King Dragon!"

"Run, he's going to destroy everything!"

"Nothing can stop this _monster!"_

"Get away while you still can! Away, away!"

A loud boom rang through the sky. The dragon was laughing in triumph of his glorious resurrection. _**"I am Pendulum, Xyz, Synchro and Fusion! The ultimate existence! The one who reigns supreme over all!"**_

The demon duelist himself rested in the crevice of the monster's slim green-and-gold neck, fused from the waist down. His soul was filled with a unquenchable lust for power. And in a split second, his entire personality suddenly changed, now filled with malice and vivid emotion, no longer stoic like before. His eyes gleamed with borderline insanity, reflecting the twisted heart inside.

From his view high above the humans, they wormed around like ants, meaningless pests that needed to be destroyed. Zarc nearly scoffed.

He craved attention.

After all, the Supreme King Dragon was undoubtedly a _god_ , one that all nations had come to fear. Nothing escaped his wrathful stare. His very presence was like death itself: cold, looming, dashing hope from sight and mind, and _dark._ The dragon roared out for a challenge, for anyone to fight him in a battle so he could prove his strength and authority over the world and crush them in a humiliating and deadly end.

Many duelists, both in the past and present, had tried to defeat the black dragon born from the highest heavens, including the former Academia students that were very skilled in Fusion Summoning. But none had prevailed. The two friends of Yuya were dealt damage as their monsters were all destroyed, electrocuted by red lightning that flashed from the sky.

They all fell before Zarc, broken and left in complete despair. Their forms smoking and skin now burnt, there was no obstacle between them and Zarc, nothing that would stop or persuade him from using his fire to finish them off.

There was nothing they could do to stop this monster; his very presence alone was oppressive and forced them into submission.

Rearing his head back and stretching his maw wide, he cackled like a crazed psychopath. _**"Is this what you call a challenge, your best of the best? They haven't landed even a mere scratch on me! How pathetic...you all are not worthy to stand before a god!"**_

Civilians and students alike ran down the streets and the courtyard of Academia, trying to get away from the massive, demonic beast. One student, a Ra Yellow, stopped to stare boldly up at the dragon.

"We didn't know a utopia would result in this!" he cried. "We never expected you! You may have taken down most of us, but somebody will defeat you!"

 _ **"LIES!"**_ Zarc bellowed, charging up a familiar green blast in his dragon's mouth _ **. "DON'T SAY SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW, FOOL!"**_

 _As if you could ever defeat the likes of me!_

"Your own pride will be your downfall!" The Ra Yellow student stood his ground courageously, whipping out his duel disk and quickly Fusion Summoning his strongest monster in a false hope of taking down the black dragon.

But his heroic attempts, as brave and fearless as they were to try to stop the demon, were all for naught; the effects of the Supreme King Dragon effortlessly obliterated his ace into a million pieces, followed by a sudden blast of a burning green fire that hurled itself straight at the duelist.

In a moment's notice, he skidded across the ground, crashing hard into a building. Most of the bones _cracked_ under pressure, giving way one by one when he hit the wall, and his spine snapped in half from the impact; he was left dying from blood loss. His efforts were all in vain and his demise imminent.

Zarc cackled and mocked his weak status, blithely unconcerned that he had brutally murdered a young teenager. Rather, he was more than ready to deal the same deadly blow to the other duelists and citizens that scampered on the streets away from his presence, wanting their blood to stain the walls.

 _I'll deal you all the same pain you've subjected me to!_

But his rampage was temporarily halted when he heard someone else shout at him.

With a sharp jerk, the demon turned his head to see the remaining Lancers, all preparing their duel disks and ready to fight him. Now this was intriguing to his eyes; perhaps he could finally get a worthy duel in before crushing his prey.

 _ **"Ohhh, I see you foolish mortals are still up for a challenge?"**_ he sneered, the pupils in his golden eyes narrowing in disdain. _**"Come to see what true fear tastes like?"**_

Two of the Lancers, Shun Kurosaki and Kaito Tenjo, both members of the Resistance from the Xyz Dimension that had been torn apart by Academia's invasions, stepped forward with their brightly glowing duel disks.

"Zarc!" both of them shouted, almost simulataneously. "We will be your next opponents!"

The demon smirked widely, brandishing his own duel disk as they stepped up into the Action field. His ace monster was seen on the glimmering yellow blade. _**"Good. You can be my next prey. I'm still not satisfied..."**_

"For the sake of the four dimensions, we will defeat you. And bring back our friends, Yuya and Yuto!" Kaito declared, vengeance blazing in his pale blue eyes.

"Yuya, Yuto, we know you're in there!" Shun shouted alongside his comrade. "Fight him! Don't let the demon take over!"

Zarc cackled again as they started their turn and brought out their ace monsters, determined to take him down and save their comrades. _ **"Bring them back? They are dead, gone forever! Only I am here now, returned in full flesh and blood, so end this hopeless conquest to bring back your friends that no longer exist!"**_

To counter their efforts, he summoned one of his four faithful dragons, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, now a dark and corrupted servant of the Supreme King. It overpowered their monsters instantly, and the sheer electricity surging in its purplish-black wings shocked the two Lancers to submission. They were too weak to bring them back, too weak to stop him, too weak to save anyone.

 _Xyz fell before the king..._

Kaito and Shun drop in a heap to the ground in pain, their clothes and skin scorched from the electricity with smoke wafting off their bodies. They had been defeated, left in the enemy's complete mercy. The dragon's sneer was directed to them, baring hundreds of sharp teeth that threatened to rip them apart with little effort.

"This...this isn't over!" Shun coughed violently for a minute, taking deep breaths as he struggled to speak. "We...we still have our other friends to take you on!"

"Yuya! Yuto!" Kaito called up to the demonic duelist. "If you can hear us, listen to our hearts! Fight him! Don't let that monster have control over you!"

Zarc stiffened for a moment, shaking his head in mock pity. _**"You really don't understand, do you? I said they are gone."**_ He smirked a wide, insane smile as the black dragon turned its head towards the two fallen Lancers, charging a powerful green blast in its throat to finish them off for good.

 _Die, worthless scum._

Both Xyz duelists squeezed their eyes shut as Zarc finished charging his blast and fired it point blank at them. However, before the attack could make impact and end their lives, a Blackwing monster appeared before them and took the deadly hit, its body disintegrating into particles from the heat before the Supreme King stopped.

More opponents, more challengers stood in his way. More opportunities for him to _crush_.

This time, two more Lancers, Shingo Sawatari and Crow Hogan, the Pendulum Dimension Entertainment duelist and Synchro Dimension Blackwing duelist respectively, ran forward in fierce opposition. Infuriated at failing to destroy its prey, if for a moment, the Supreme King Dragon roared angrily at the two new challengers, again brandishing its sharp teeth at them with malicious intent.

The enemy himself sneered in annoyance, his pupils slitting. Despite his sharp eyes observing everything below him, Zarc was unaware of the shiny object gripped in Sawatari's hand...

 _ **"So you have come to protect your comrades?"**_ he cackled like a madman, gripping his hair to control himself. _**"You will face the same fate as they. Now come and bring out your strongest, so that I may inflict nothing but fear in your souls, make you lose hope, and tear you down to ash and dust!"**_

Crow raised an eyebrow. "Gee, what's with this guy? He's completely crazy!"

"Crazy?" Sawatari echoed back. "He's not just crazy. He's completely _mad_ with power! What's he trying to be, some kind of god or something?"

Zarc laughed at their words; the blond-brown-haired one must've been stupid or foolish to not realize the obvious. _ **"I AM a god! And you will all fall before me!"**_ The black, heavenly dragon roared into the sky in triumph, glaring down at the two duelists with a cold, red gaze that would send shivers down anyone's spine.

Sawatari suddenly grinned teasingly, not very intimidated by the dragon or the demon fused at its neck. "Oh, yeah? Well, if you were such a "god," then why are you fighting so defensively? What, are you afraid to _lose?"_

Zarc was stunned from the accusation. He hated that word, absolutely _HATED_ it with a passion. It tingled his ears till they burned, made his heart lurch against his chest, and vomit also rose into his mouth.

 _Lose? LOSE?!_

Zarc's golden eyes glowed in mild shock from the implied insult, his hardened gaze falling upon Sawatari. That little pest was nothing than that, a mere pest, yet he dared have the audacity to call him out?! To say the great king would actually LOSE?! He made sure the brat would SUFFER for such foolish talk!

His mouth twisted into a vicious snarl with fangs bared. _**"Me, afraid to LOSE?! Don't make such assumptions, insect! I WILL NOT LOSE!"**_

But the truth was revealed, no matter how many times Zarc tried to deny or condemn it. And unfortunately for him, his opponents were very inquisitive to catch on the hurriedness in his speech, quickly latching onto the hidden meaning behind the words. No long-winded speech, insult, or bravado would distract them now; they could read the demon like an open book.

It was Crow's turn to scold. "You're totally afraid of losing! A true duelist will take risks and use defeat as a way to better themselves! You're nothing but a sore loser and a dirty coward, hiding behind your monsters and effects!"

Zarc growled, his eyes flashing red and his heartbeat quickening. **_"Shut up! I am NOT a coward!"_**

"But you are!" Sawatari shot back. "You used your dragons and effects to protect you! You don't take any risks, and I bet you would panic once you start losing your Life points! You use whatever tactics as a shield, both to crush your opponents before they get a chance to fight back, and as a tool to save your own hide! A true duelist would never cower behind his monsters! _Yuya_ never did that!"

 _ **"Stop making such ridiculous talk!"**_

Crow smirked coyly; Zarc was in pure denial now. "Yuya will always be a better duelist and person than you! He is a hero, not a cowardly demon! You're nothing but a sore loser!"

A strangled cry escaped the demon duelist, shaking his head to forget their words. They were right in a sense, but he would never tell them why he had that phobia. Fear was beneath him, and losing was not an option. But no matter how hard Zarc tried to ignore the truth, a flash of all his past memories concerning his losses flooded through his mind for a moment...

 _I'm not a loser. I can't lose! I won't suffer defeat, not anymore! How dare they try to shake my resolve!_

Zarc snapped, shouting at them viciously, _**"Shut up! Just SHUT UP! Only the absolute strongest win and never fall! I will win again and again...until I destroy everything that stands in my way!"**_ His eyes glowed brightly, fiercely, a devastating and scorching gold. _**"Make your move, just so I can finish you off!"**_

"It's funny, my friend would never be that defensive, " Sawatari claimed, shrugging his shoulders as he started his turn, drawing a card. "Even when he was in a pinch, he always kept a smile on his face...unlike you!" A goofy smile split his features; it was getting easier to pick the demon's character apart.

Zarc lowered his ears from his insult, having none of it. He was tired of their insults and accusations, and they will pay dearly for trying to tear him down. _**"You insignificant pest...I don't need to smile to win!"**_

"We'll see about that!" In an act of bravery, Sawatari soon summoned his ace monster and commanded it to attack after negating Zarc's protection effects and raising his monster's power. "Yuya, you know what to do! Don't let this sullen troll get the best of your entertainment!"

Zarc's ears itched. He hated being derided like this, like he was some common beast or significantly inferior to a _child_ who no longer existed. Pretended to be shocked, the demon guffawed at his attempts to destroy him before he revealed the effect of his next faithful dragon and summoned it, revealing to the field a now furious Odd-Eyes with terrifying power and hateful, blazing eyes. The crimson beast stood protectively before its king and master, quickly disposing Sawatari of his ace monster with its powerful abilities.

Things were looking even more hopeless now, with more and more Lancers succumbing before the king.

 _ **"And you thought you could actually defeat me with such a pathetic weakling...hilarious!"**_ Zarc bellowed, his features contorted into a horrifying, psychotic look as he observed the defeat of his next prey. Licking his lips, his sadistic smile grew to twisted lengths. _ **"Fall, fall down to the depths, and never rise again!"**_

Crow shriveled in disgust, hearing the demon's voice unravel. "Man, this guy _is_ crazy!"

His ears twitching, Zarc turned to Crow, his sneer ever widening. _**"Your move, however worthless it will be."**_

"I"ll show you worthless!" Crow set a card facedown after indignantly attacking Zarc. "Finish him off!"

But again the villain of the battle was too strong for them to defeat, snarling like an animal as he effortlessly stopped the attack. The little monster didn't have a chance to leave even a scratch on his scales. The vicious cycle continued, and before long the Synchro duelist fell along with the others. Zarc was proud of his accomplishments, his sun-gold eyes gleaming with murderous intent. This was what he craved for after so long, a chance to prove his own strength and power.

He would show them his savage entertainment duel again and again till everything was destroyed, just as everyone had desired. This was his true purpose for living!

 _Pendulum, and now Synchro. They will all fall before me..._

At that moment, two more Lancers appeared: the strong, Steadfast duelist, Noboru Gongenzaka and former Duel King, Jack Atlas, the latter rushing to the scene on his D-Wheel.

"CROW! SAWATARI!" the Steadfast one cried as he watched said duelists crash on a nearby roof from Zarc's direct attack.

Laughing in mad glee from achieving another win, it didn't take long for the demon to notice the next group of Lancers take him on, each engaging into the duel by activating their duel disks. With a crazed gleam in his eyes, Zarc watched them like a hawk, grinning maliciously. _**"More challengers to fall before me?"**_

"Supreme King Dragon Z-ARC!" they shouted. "We challenge you to a duel!"

The Supreme King Dragon turned his head towards them, casting a menacing shadow over the area. Zarc bared his fangs once more, eager to fight his opponents.

 _ **"Very well, then!"**_ He set his card facedown and ended his turn, growling at the Synchro duelists. _**"Make your move so I can crush you!"**_

"It's time to face us, Zarc—no, Yuya!" Gongenzaka shouted. "I will bring back your entertainment spirit with my Steadfast dueling!"

Zarc crossed his arms indignantly, his smile leaving his face at the mention of the Standard counterpart. _**"It's like I told your previous fallen friends: Yuya is gone. Dead. Nonexistent. He was merely an alter-ego, an avatar, for my resurrection."**_ He lowered his eyelids, giving a sharp scowl at the Steadfast duelist in contempt. They're all foolish for not accepting the truth or reality of their situation. _**"You're fighting a losing battle!"**_

"The battle is not over until the last Life point is lost!" Jack countered, preparing his own strategy as Gongenzaka summoned two of his monsters. "As long as we're standing, we won't stop until we bring back your burning soul, Yuya!"

 _ **"I'd like to see you TRY!"**_ A loud, maniacal cackle escaped his throat, the harsh sounds of his insanity ringing through the sky. Those who heard it shuddered in fear, as the demon seemed to have gone off the deep end in his thirst for blood. _**"I applaud your skills and courage, but I'll make sure you'll fall, if it is the last thing I do!"**_

Their fears confirmed, Zarc was true to his word; despite the best efforts of both Gongenzaka and Jack, they also were defeated by the strength of the Synchro servant. But he failed to notice the shining pendant, a blue pendulum in a silver chain, grasped tightly in the Steadfast duelist's fist.

 _Synchro finally crumbled, and then the next opponent appears..._

Smirking at his work, with the display of fallen opponents and dead duelists on the streets, the demon roared in triumph. **_"I am victorious! Nothing can defeat me!"_**

But the world refused to give up. Before the king could continue, Leo Akaba intruded. He had a plan to take the enemy down, and his face was stern.

"I created this mess, and Ray isn't here..." the Professor narrowed his eyes as the dragon turned to face him, "so I'll take you down myself, Zarc!"

 _ **"Oh?"**_ His voice was thick with condescension yet there was an undertone of suspicion. Zarc knew that the man was scheming something, and he was taking no risks against him. **_"You really think you can defeat me? I know your plans..."_**

And as if on cue, Zarc retaliated by using a spell to reveal what was in Leo's hand. His worst fears were confirmed; it was the four En Nature cards, the very same ones used to split him apart from his dragons in the Original Dimension. His mouth twisted in disgust; the mere sight of the cards left a sick, foreboding feeling in the demon's gut. They caused him endless pain for fifteen years, keeping his soul and body apart while letting him feel all of the effects. No one heard his screams, not even the dragons, and it was the absolute worst torture the demon ever went through.

One he was determined to avoid at all costs. ** _"You won't be using these a second time!"_**

With A snap of his fingers, a tick of a clock, Zarc played a trap and the cards were destroyed. With them out of the way, the very instruments used to end him, there was no stopping the monster. His victory was inevitable.

Leo lost the fight immediately, with only his life saved by his son before his head made contact with the street cement. His heart pounded in alarm at the realization of how he was to _death_ , silently thanking Reiji before he laid back on the his glasses up, the remaining Akaba had joined the battle, the head Lancer and strongest of his group. After making sure his father was safe and alive, the young man stood tall as the lone opponent against the all-powerful dragon.

"Yuya!" Reiji declared, now the bearer of the duelist's pendant. "I know you're in there! You are not a demon!" His stance was confident, grand, firm, reflected by his monsters. "You duel for smiles, not to bring pain! Now come back to us, and defeat Zarc! You are not him!"

What was even more amazing was the damage his kingly monsters inflicted against the god. For a moment, Zarc felt a sharp pain reverberate in his chest, somewhat intimidated by the sheer power of his opponent. The dragon used his arm to block the attack, making him wince as his life briefly flashed before his eyes.

He wasn't supposed to feel fear, only to inflict it upon others! _That is my desire! My wish, my will! I won't be shaken!_

 _Not...again..._

And for the first time, the demon growled, wanting the duel to end quickly instead of dragging it out. **_"You have considerable strength, Akaba Reiji. But you are so annoying..."_**

Despite Reiji's heavy blows, the dragon had more than enough strength to finish him off. Even the strongest in will and skill, the leader of the Lancers, crumbled before him from a simple punch. Zarc smirked knowingly as he felt the hope of his prey fade away. His four dragon servants all roared in triumph at his victory; there was no stopping the king now.

 _I will destroy everything, and never suffer from defeat ever again! All of the world will be MINE!_

"Not so fast, Zarc!" A new voice, young and pure, yet overwhelmingly confident in their skill, resounded in the air and up to the sky. Zarc's ears twitched; his new opposer sounded strangely, _hauntingly_ familiar...

His eyes widened as everything abruptly came crashing down around him. He knew that tone anywhere. _No._

 _Ray Akaba._

Suddenly, it was he who felt like the prey. Reira, a young girl who was previously thought to have been a boy to the other Lancers, stood defiantly before the dragon king. Her cap was removed and the hoodie was down, letting her long light-pink hair free to flow in the rushing wind. What made Zarc's heart stop was the gold, transparent spirit of Ray floating next to her, glaring up at him.

"Only I can defeat you, Zarc!" The duelist, as meek and innocent as her tone was, shook the demon's soul right down to his core. Zarc was suddenly afraid, deathly afraid of this child. He couldn't explain why, but there was something about this vessel that left him shaking like a dog.

Even his dragons were fearful, and suddenly it dawned on him right as she activated a spell, reviving the four dreaded cards Zarc previously destroyed. They were about to be split into pieces again.

He was going to die.

 _Not this again! No, I refuse! I beg you, please, not like this!_

His ace howled in pain as the elements around them stripped him of his power and glory, soon seeping into his soul and tearing it apart piece by piece. Zarc felt every agonizing, torturous moment of the split, struggling to control his emotions.

 _Please!_

The cries of his servants echoed through the air, followed by Zarc's own scream which mixed in with the dragon's fading cry. He was filled with sheer agony.

 _It hurts! It hurts so much! Please...make the pain stop!_

The heavenly ruler was finally defeated, destroyed by the same power again.

 _NOOOOOOOO!_

Zarc breathed slow, heavy breaths as he kneeled on the ground in front of the Lancers and the Professor. Once floating mightily above as the black, heavenly Supreme King Dragon, he was now de-powered by the four nature cards: En Flowers, En Birds, En Winds, and En Moon. His form smoked and hissed from the effects of the spells. He had been humiliated again, and he _loathed_ that.

With a dark scowl and hateful eyes, he snarled venomously, glaring straight at Reira, _**"I will not be defeated like this again! I won't let you, evil cursed girl!"**_

"It's over, Zarc!" Ray's voice was firm coming out of Reira. "If you come back, I will also come back! I won't let you do as you please!"

 _ **"Why, you..."**_ Zarc lowered his ears and cursed at her, angered enough to take out the girl on his next turn. But it was in that moment, that little moment, when he felt his control slipping with a painful tightening in his chest. His golden eyes widened in both surprise and horror. ** _"Wha—?!"_**

 _"I won't...let...you win!"_

A sharp migraine suddenly assaulted Zarc and he grabbed his head in pain, gritting his teeth and gripping his chest as the tightness got worse. _ **"ARGH! What's...what's happening?!"**_

The pain grew worse and more intense as if his skull was splitting open, his control slipping more and more each second and forcing him to shut his eyes to concentrate. The other voice struggled against him and was prevailing, crying out to his friends in determination, much to Zarc's horror. Reiji called out to the demon, throwing a shiny blue pendant that shined briefly in the fading sunlight...

 _"I'm...not...a demon!"_ Yuya screamed in alarm, unheard by anyone except for the demon duelist. Zarc shuddered in fear; his own counterparts that he presumed were gone suddenly started to break free from his control!

 _"We won't let you win!"_ Yuto interjected briefly, his declared cry ringing in Zarc's ears. He almost howled in fury.

 _"Well, let's take this sucker down!"_ Yugo followed after the Xyz duelist, filled with determination to take the demon down.

 _"I won't be used as a tool by anyone anymore!"_ Yuri also surprisingly spoke up, albeit with different reasons than the other counterparts. He was tired of being used and controlled for the last time, even from the darkness inside his soul.

Overwhelmed by their growing wills, which threatened to subjugate his own presence, Zarc unknowingly relented to one individual. His left eye opened, revealing a familiar crimson hue that the Lancers recognized with soft gasps escaping their lips. An arm reached out and grabbed the pendulum by the rope.

It was Yuya.

"Yuya!" Edo and Sora cried in alarm, relieved that their friend was still alive.

"He's back!" Sawatari excitedly exclaimed. He was also excited that his rival had made it.

"Our voices reached him!" Gongenzaka added, with tears of joy falling down his face. "His soul has awakened and he's regained control over Zarc!"

As the cheers of the Lancers and Yuya's comrades rang through the sky, for the first time in a long time, Zarc's heart was gripped in petrifying fear, shocked at the reality that he no longer had control over himself. The boy managed to succeed somehow, suppressing his dark power and determined to defeat him from the inside.

He was going to fall, be split into pieces once again...

 _I...I'm gonna lose again..._

His other eye turned red as Zarc's momentary pause gave Yuya enough time and opportunity to regain full control. His voice cried out to his friends, "Gongenzaka! Edo! Sora! It's me! I'm here! I..." Zarc attempted to regain his strength and force Yuya out of himself, making the boy grimace in his struggle for control, "...can't...hold on for long!"

With what little time he had left to stay conscious, Yuya quickly started his turn, activating Smile Universe. A pillar of light burst forth from the spell into the sky, then exploded into particles and changed the surrounding duel field into a beautiful environment of stars, planets, and smiling faces of various shapes and colors.

The Lancers were completely mesmerized by the wondrous sight.

"Smile...Universe?" Shun echoed in awe. This is..."

"Beautiful," Crow finished, unable to find the proper word. Everything around them was so cheery and entertaining, much like the duelist who activated it. This was Yuya's trump against Zarc's tyranny and anger, his light against the darkness.

The boy spread his arms widely. "I can Special Summon as many Pendulum monsters as I can from the Extra Deck as possible, with their effects negated, then my opponent gains Life points equal to the total ATK of those monsters!"

Zarc, regaining his bearings at that point, managed to achieve enough control to turn his right eye yellow. He widened it in horror at his reincarnation's words to buff up the enemy. _**"WHAT?! NO, I WON'T ALLOW IT!"**_

Yuya fought back control with equal strength as he summoned back the Supreme King Dragon, but it was completely powerless. A loud human-like scream rang from its throat instead of its usual, earth-shaking roar. The Lancers' eyes widened in surprise at the sudden vulnerability of the monster, not noticing the fear in its eyes.

"That dragon is back!" Gongenzaka cried in alarm, eyes widened.

Yuya gritted his teeth in hard focus as the rest of his Pendulum monsters appeared, while Zarc's pupil darted all over the place in his eye, trying with all his remaining strength to suppress his counterpart. "R-Ray...finish it! Activate...the cards! _Destroy the Supreme King Dragon!"_

Zarc was absolutely frantic at this point. _ **"PLEASE! NO, I'M BEGGING YOU! DON'T DO THIS! I WON'T LOSE AGAIN! NOO!"**_ He dropped his bravado and cocky attitude, now completely filled with terror that he was going to be defeated again. A mental tug of war raged in Yuya's mind as he and the demon pushed back and forth in a dire battle for dominance, forcing the Entertainer's eye to squint and strain his muscles from the effort for control.

"Eno-enough, Zarc! I...made my..." He winced, feeling the demon unleash more of his willpower on him.

 ** _"N-NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"_** Zarc's voice was on the verge of _crying,_ which went unnoticed by the others. **_"S-STOP IT!"_**

Yuya's eye suddenly widened in triumph, signaling his victory with the tug of war as he shoved Zarc back. "I've decided! _I will not become a demon!"_

Zarc tried again to assert control, desperate to possess the boy and create a comeback in the duel. His voice cracked, _**"NO! PLEASE!"**_

Yuya quickly butted back in. "NOW! DO IT, RAY! REIRA!"

However, before Reira could activate the effects of the cards and destroy the Supreme King once and for all, what happened next on the field was unexpected...and left everyone who was present completely shell-shocked.

 _ **"IF I'M GOING DOWN, I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME!"**_ Zarc, his mind nearly breaking down at this point in intense pain, despair and anger, took what little control he had left of his body and raised his clawed hand. _**"I ACTIVATE MY TRAP!**_ _ **SELF-DESTRUCT BUTTON!"**_

A loud, collective _"What?!"_ spilled out the mouths from every duelist in the area as Zarc quickly revealed the card in the Spell/Trap zone of his duel disk, immediately flipping it face-up. It bore an ominous, foreboding aura that alerted every duelist and citizen within the area.

"Self-Destruct Button?!" Reiji was particularly wary of the sudden card. When did their enemy set a trap?

Yuya was completely taken aback by the unexpected move, his gaze turning to Zarc's lone eye. "H-hey! What are you—?!"

Zarc ignored their cries of protest and anger, at this point determined just to not die. _**"IF I HAVE LESS LIFE POINTS THAN MY OPPONENT, AND THE DIFFERENCE IS SEVEN THOUSAND OR MORE, WE BOTH LOSE THE DUEL!"**_ he snarled venemously at Ray, who was equally shocked that he had the last move. _**"I WILL NOT DIE OR BE DEFEATED A SECOND TIME, NOT BY YOU OR ANYONE ELSE!"**_

The trap card activated, revealing itself as a black button with an image of a scarlet skull implanted on it. A hand pale as death appeared out of nowhere and pushed the button, signaling the fate of the duel and the defeat of both sides as a loud beeping rang through the air. There was nothing anyone could do to stop the card, a last-ditch effort on Zarc's part to take everyone out.

Leo's face blanched in horror as the beeping increased in volume, becoming more frantic and alarming of the imminent explosion. "EVERYONE! GET BACK _NOW!_ IT'S GONNA BLOW!"

A few screams tore out from a few of the Lancers and other civilians in the nearby area as they struggled to move away from the glowing trap and find cover. Zarc stood his ground, having not much strength to get away from the card before its inevitable explosion. He winced slightly as the card effect beeped faster, seconds away from the imminent end.

 ** _"And as for you_** **..."** his remaining eye glared sharply at Yuya's, _**"...I'm not done with you YET!"**_

Small cracks started to form in the air around the button as well as on the ground below it, charging up its power rapidly and threatening to take out the two duelists. Then it _exploded_ in a blast of fire and hurricane-like wind, sending a huge shockwave of electricity and searing heat all around itself.

Reira, with Ray as her host, flew back several feet, screaming in surprise and pain as stray flames and electric sparks from the trap collided with her body. A familiar flatline beep was heard from everyone's duel disk, a signaling of all their Life points depleting to zero and marking the end of the duel. The other Lancers also flew in several directions from the explosion, their skin scorched in several places and bodies smoking from the effect of the trap.

Zarc himself was blown back full-front from the force, the electricity and power of his trap burning through most of his body and scales, sending him screaming in agony as the rest of his Life points were also gone. He had lost again, but at least his soul would stay intact this time around.

 _ **"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

The force of the final blow caused a bright light to shine from its center and envelop the entire area within moments, spreading quickly to the four dimensions...and beyond.

* * *

 **See what I mean by different? It took a while to find the right card to end this in a draw, and Self Destruct Button was the perfect opportunity for it. Plus, less emphasis on the Pendulum, mostly because even though it an important plot device in the anime, it isn't here. After all, this is the "first chapter" of the first arc, and I hope this story ends in a way much better than the anime's.**

 **Anyway, time to reply to reviews!**

 _ **To Ulrich362: You hit it right on the nose. The murder of Zarc's parents is only the TIP of the iceberg that follows. Once everything is revealed, to be honest...one would wonder on how Zarc didn't go insane sooner.**_

 _ **To KuriMaster13: Interesting theory. I am neither confirming nor denying anything. And no...this is not a parody. This is a super serious story.**_

 _ **To Donjusticia: Yes, and it's only the beginning. And thanks for the tip; I fixed the mistakes (or, at least the one you mentioned).**_

 _ **To Shimmering-Sky: Yes, indeed. Perhaps predictable, but trust me, it gets worse from this point onward.**_

 _ **To Epsilon Tarantula: XDDDDDD Thanks!**_

 _ **To fanfic meister: There are a few differences between this and GX. For one thing, this story deals with issues that one would not find in a Yu-Gi-Oh anime (it's much darker). And as for Ray...no comment.**_

 _ **To 4fireking: You don't have to read the author notes. XD**_

 _ **To Leafeon12: Thanks! I think Odd-Eyes is really the most understanding and kindest of the four dragons.**_

 _ **To Ghostkid33: I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID. POOR ZARC, WHY AM I DOING THIS TO HIM?**_

 _ **To Scalchop Warrior: Good! I want you to hate him! HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE HATEABLE!**_

 _ **To Soul of Innocence-Aamuet: Yeah, poor guy is gonna suffer. And thanks!**_

 _ **To ChaosPulsar: Well, here you go. He is insane. XD**_

 _ **To Haou: I have my own theory of Yubel. I think she is a guardian of the Supreme King, but only for a specific age. Haou and Judai were in the same age (which ranges from 1 to 3 thousand years), and thus Yubel was the appointed guardian for them both. Plus, Judai was a direct, identical reincarnation of Haou to finish off the Light's influence on the world in that age, while Zarc is not a direct reincarnation of either Haou or Judai. Again, Zarc is a reincarnation of the Supreme King, but not of Judai or Haou exactly. Zarc is the chosen Supreme King of the new age, and thus new guardians were appointed to protect him, which were the four dragons. So Yubel was the guardian of Haou's/Judai's age, while the Four Dimension Dragons are the guardians of Zarc's age. There are a lot more details to explain this theory of mine, but I rather not extend on any more information that might be spoilers.**_

 _ **To Rayisoar5: Too bad he won't get much rest...**_

 **SO thus begins the first arc, and the beginning of the end. Which leaves this question...what will become of Zarc and the Yu-boys in the next chapter? I would LOVE to hear your theories in the comments! And to those who know, DON'T SAY ANYTHING!**

 **Till next time, this is CTA out and God is good!**


	4. Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place

**Hey, guys! This update was actually quick! Mostly because this is actually one big RP Leshia and I made a few months back, so we were prepared for this chapter for a while now. I'm also editing the past chapters, and the first two have been done, so check them out! I will keep editing them in the future, so keep on the lookout! :D**

 **Huge thanks to GhostKid33/Leshia for helping me with this!**

 ** **Now, it was hard to write this chapter. VERY HARD. Mostly because of the conflict here. One of the things I want to stress in this story is the relationship of the dragons to Zarc, considering how little we had of that in the show. Plus, with Zarc still alive here, it would cause a few problems for the Lancer/Yu-boy group for a while. And I really want to show that here. So forgive me if the characters are a bit out of it, but it's somewhat justifiable by the situation.****

 ** ** ** **This will probably make you sad. You have been warned.********

* * *

Dusk was falling over the four dimensions. The sun hung low in the tangerine sky, marking the end of an eventful, terrible day.

There was both hope and fear in the air, hope in the realization that the long war between worlds was over. However, no one was able to enjoy the beauty of the approaching twilight, their hearts and minds too engulfed, too gripped in terror of what happened a few minutes beforehand. A bright light had separated the dimensions once more, but this time their memories were still fresh and real.

No one could ever forget the dragon that almost destroyed their homes and lives. His angered roar, a cry of pure malice and hatred against all mankind, the lingering scream of a physical _nightmare_ , plagued their minds for the rest of the evening.

How could they stand against the Supreme King? How could they forget their near-annihilation? Even the Lancers, the brave warriors who fought on the frontlines against Academia, couldn't fully defeat him. It took a different individual, one who didn't even exist, to suppress his power.

And even then...he was still _out there._

The horror of having such a horrific villain nearly succeed in destroying everything left stomachs churned and mouths dry from screaming. It was hard to get over that taste of fear. Loss. Pain.

 _Death._

How many died from his hand? How many more suffered from injuries, trauma, shock? Nightmares? Few went to their beds after this day with any peace in their minds.

The Lancers were especially affected after the grueling battle, both physically and psychologically, as they all worked to find the other survivors of the blast and lick their wounds. They were covered in all sorts of deep burns and scars, no doubt from the blazing heat of the Supreme King Dragon's fire.

Reira was sadly the most injured of all of them, as she had been hit point-blank by the last blast of his trap, and there was a good chance she wouldn't make it without immediate medical attention. Leo, despite his own physical (and emotional) pain, took it upon himself to help her recover. He took it upon himself that responsibility, saying Academia (or the remains of it) had the proper medicine and treatment for her injuries and that she would be safe under his care.

Of course, after everything that happened and with so many people left injured from both the war and Zarc's rampage, the Lancers didn't see much of a choice. Reira would be left with Leo temporarily. However, he had ulterior motives that didn't go unnoticed by his son.

Reiji decided not to call him out for it. There were more important matters that had to be dealt with at the moment.

Slowly, but surely, progress had finally been made to end the war. As for many who still remembered the fight, it was still shell-shocking that Zarc had such a desperate fallback at his disposal, let alone execute it without delay at the end. But they had little to no idea what had happened to him afterwards, and his four counterparts were nowhere to be seen after the blast.

They all disappeared without a single trace.

As for said demon duelist, who managed to materialize himself in a different place far away from the Fusion Dimension, he was also far from happy about the current situation, but not because of what everyone else feared. He had other problems, more personal ones, to worry about.

Specifically problems that had to do with the now four awakened and unhappy souls inside him.

Zarc dropped to his knees inside an abandoned alley of the Pendulum Dimension. Beads of sweat poured down his face as he took deep, labored breaths, clutching his chest from the excruciating pain racking his body from head to toe. Within his mind, the darkest abyss of his being, the monster was wrestling with all his strength with not just Yuya, but the voices of the three other souls moving inside him. They were all pushing against his power with their equally strong wills, which alarmed the demon greatly.

 _ **"If you hadn't interfered at that last moment, I would've WON!"**_ Zarc snarled viciously at the four boys, his once gold eyes now an ominous blood-red, white pupils narrowed in pure fury. _**"I should've DESTROYED you when I DID, YOU PESTS!"**_

"I won't let you destroy the world or hurt my friends!" Yuya angrily shouted back at the demon, his own red eyes blazing with anger. But he was more tranquil, rightly directly at the duelist before them. "I refuse to become a demon like you!"

Yugo took that moment to butt in with his own words, agreeing with his Entertainer counterpart. "Yeah, what he said! We're not _monsters_ like you! Let us free, baka!"

 ** _"Shut up, moron."_**

"I HAVE A NAME, YOU KNOW!"

Zarc growled darkly, ignoring the Synchro duelist's rash ire. _**"You all are a part of me whether you like it or not, nothing more than mere alter egos for my resurrection! You're nothing without me!"**_ He lowered his ears as his eyes brightened in wrath, having had enough of their pointless rebellion. _ **"And to make sure of that, I'll make sure that you four won't rise up against me AGAIN!"**_

"You won't stop us again, Zarc!" Yuya shot back at the demon, his own red eyes seething with dark anger. "There is nothing you can do to keep us down permanently, because no matter how hard you try to suppress us, no matter how much power you may have, we and our friends will fight back with equal force!"

 _ **"Then perhaps I'll end you four like I did with your comrades! You're all dead to me!"**_

"Oh? And what exactly will you do to accomplish that?" Yuri's sickeningly snarky voice cut through Zarc's mind like a sharp knife, but his words cut even deeper. "In case you haven't noticed, you're not in a good _condition_ to stop us. And furthermore...you didn't exactly kill any of the Lancers as far as we know."

"And for the record, we're independent people, not fragments!" Yuto barked in a harsh tone. "We may have been born from your split soul, but we're not you in the slightest! We have our own lives with our own relationships and our own friends and families!" Memories of Shun, Ruri, and all of their comrades flooded the Xyz counterpart's head, only fueling his passion to fight back against Zarc.

"And our worlds!" Yugo butted in again, pumping his fist. "We are our own selves!"

 ** _"SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!"_ **Zarc roared, refusing to accept his fate and attempting to suppress had had enough of their little mutiny! They were really getting on his nerves, daring to actually fight back and insult him. _**"I'LL** **KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU FOUR!"** _

With hot-blooded anger raging in his veins, the demon gathered up as much power as he could, ready to fight and beat the four counterparts to submission. However, the physical and psychological effects of the duel, along with his own suicidal last move and the serious burns and scars it left on his body, sent him kneeling down on one leg instead. He gripped his head from the overwhelming pain throbbing inside his skull, attempting to stay somewhat conscious through the torment.

 _No...my head hurts..._

Zarc was unable to fight anymore, being too defeated and exhausted to even stand. He lost all of his strength, and it was very evident to the others.

Yuri giggled sadistically at his misery, making the other boys shiver. "See? I told you: you can't do _anything,"_ he sneered with malicious intent. "You don't even have enough strength to stay on your feet. Face it. You can do _nothing_ to stop us."

"We can probably regain control over him while he's weak," Yuto suddenly suggested to his counterparts, not taking his eyes off the demon lest he made a move. "Maybe we can get our bodies back."

Zarc's eyes widened in horror at his words; if they did that, was he going to get split up again? Did that mean he was going to die anyway, despite his last-ditch efforts to stay alive? _**"W-what? No!"**_

"Good idea!" Yugo agreed, unaware of the demon's fear. "I've had _enough_ of this guy! And besides, I'm itching to return home and get back with Rin again!"

"We can get our dragons back, too!" Yuya said. "Now that they're separated again, we can show them how to fight in a duel for fun instead of destruction! They can smile again like they used to! I know Odd-Eyes enough that he wouldn't want to destroy anything!"

Zarc looked up at them in fear and horror at what they were saying, with tears threatening to run down his face. He was going to lose his friends too, his only friends. _**"N-no! Not the dragons! I-I won't let you take them! I WON'T!"**_ But with the little strength he had left, he knew he was powerless against them despite his cries of protest. _**"They're off limits! Don't you dare try to take them away from me!"**_

Was this it for him? Were they really going to take the dragons away from him? Was he forever destined to be alone or worse, to _suffer_ alone? He already went through the En Cards once, but it wasn't enough for them!

 _Please, don't split me up! Don't take them away! I need them! I NEED THEM!_

"Your Odd Eyes may be all smiles and entertainment," Yuri snarked at Yuya, his predatory gaze half-lidded, "but my Starve Venom is the exact opposite. I can't wait to get him back so we can crush our opponents in battle together again."

"And maybe crack a few heads." Yugo snickered childishly at his joke.

"Maybe I'll crack _yours."_ Yuri glowered in return, but that went over the Synchro boy's head as he dreamed of his own ace monster. He couldn't wait to break free, build a new D-Wheel, and then ride with his faithful dragon flying freely and roaring by his side.

"Let's just hurry up and get our bodies back already!" he butted in. "I want to fly with Clear Wing again!"

Yuto hummed in agreement to the boy's enthusiasm. "I'm ready to get Dark Rebellion back too, so we can fight alongside our comrades, help end this war, and repair our home world to its former glory."

A small snap sounded in Zarc's mind, signaling Yuya clapping his hands together; they had come to a mutual agreement amongst themselves (which was a rarity all on its own). "Then it's settled! We'll get the dragons and return home to our friends!"

 _ **"NO! NOO! THEY'RE MINE! ONLY MINE!"**_ Zarc backed away slightly, his ears lowered as he felt his own body being wracked in pain again. _**"I...st-STAY AWAY FROM ME!"**_

"Wow. He does not know when to shut up, does he?" Yuri mocked in blunt fashion as he and the other three boys start pushing themselves against Zarc's mental barrier. "I've had enough of his nonsense, let's just get this over with."

Their consciousness slowly begin to pour over Zarc's, their souls alight with strength and a passionate will to live. That will, that desire for life, granted them the strength to them to quickly overpower the demon duelist. Cracks started to spread over Zarc's chest from the souls pushing themselves out of him, followed by tiny streams of light that made him fall to his knees and grip his chest like he was having a heart attack. He grabbed his head with his other hand, screaming in agony with tears falling down his face as white hot spikes of excruciating pain stabbed through every inch of his body like hot knives bathed in fire.

The overwhelming force of their wills, mixed with his already severely weakened state from the duel, soon became too much for poor Zarc to bear. With a final scream, he gave way to their combined strength and lurched over, and four streaks of light escaped from his chest. While they materialized into the four boys respectively (who were in their undergarments), it left him sprawled on the ground before them, nearly unconscious as a result and his form completely wracked in pain and fatigue.

However, the thick tension was cut by a high, deafening scream, courtesy of one of the boys.

"AHH! WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES?!" Yugo blushed a dark red, covering his underwear unsuccessfully with his hands. He was very mortified about their situation, despite being a little dressed.

The cabbage head pinched his brow, caring less about his dilemma. "Yugo, you're fine."

"NO, THIS IS EMBARRASSING! WHAT IF A GIRL SEES US?!"

"There are no girls here, so shut up, idiot," Yuri retorted his rival before sighing blissfully, cracking his neck and shoulders to relieve the stiffness out of his joints. He wasn't shy of his predicament, only content that they finally had some fresh air. "Anyway, it feels good to be back to my old self again!"

"That sounds ironic coming from _you,"_ Yuto retorted, with small popping sounds escaping his limbs as he also stretched out. "We thought you wanted us to stay together considering you were persistent in becoming Zarc."

"I simply don't want to be controlled anymore." Yuri shrugged indifferently, stretching his arms. "That was mostly from his influence, although I wouldn't mind using this body to destroy my opponents too. And maybe have a rematch with Fusion-kun."

Yugo immediately glowered at the Fusion soldier and forgot all about his embarrassing ordeal, his fist raised for emphasis as if threatening to punch him. "How many times must I tell you?! IT IS YUGO, NOT FUSION! GET IT RIGHT, _BLOCKHEAD!"_

"It's not my fault your name is stupid, Fusion-kun." If there was one thing that hadn't changed, it was their bitter rivalry. Yuri loved to troll his Synchro counterpart, especially his name at Yugo's expense, not caring if the others disapproved of it. It was too _easy_ to get a rise from the boy.

Predictably, just as Yugo was about to lunge at Yuri and pummel him for the insult, Yuya quickly stepped between the two of them to stop the brawl from ever happening. "Can you two please not fight right now? We have other things to worry about," he remarked, eyeing Zarc's fallen form and the cards of the four dragons sticking out his Extra Deck.

Yuto watched the demon again with his cold grey eyes warily. "What shall we do with Zarc?" They obviously couldn't just leave him alone.

Yuri bared his duel disk that was still strapped on his arm, his expression indifferent towards the demon. "I could card him. Solves everyone's problem."

However, Yuya stopped him before he could go through with his plan. It wasn't right, even after all the trouble the demon caused to them and their friends and family. "No. I don't think that's a good idea, Yuri."

Yuri raised an eyebrow. "And why not? He's already weak and vulnerable against us. After what he did to us, to _me_ , disposing him will be easy. Besides, it's not like he's going to be remembered. No one's gonna miss him."

"No carding, Yuri. We all suffered enough _casualties_ from the war already." Yuya rarely raised his voice out of his own volition; then again, he wasn't usually serious unless the situation called it to be. Yuri decided to not argue further against the Entertainer, sensing that it would be pointless to try and change his decision. Contemplating their situation for a bit, Yuya glanced between Zarc's body and the four cards sticking out of his Extra Deck. "We'll figure out what to do with him later, but let's not be too rash about it. For now let's get our dragons back, and see if we can also find some clothes."

If there was anything he learned in the past few months, it was that violence upon violence solved nothing. Rather, it only worsened things, no matter how much the enemy deserved the punishment.

 _C_ _arding is not the answer._

Zarc groaned weakly, unaware of their conversation or dilemma that involved him. Everything both inside and outside of his body was throbbing with tremendous pain. He hated feeling so helpless, an all-too-familiar situation that he was subjected to in the past. Being trapped in an endless pit of darkness and agony, unable to find or see a way out, calling out for help only to have his prayers and cries go unheard, it was a nightmare he wished to escape from. His heart lurched strenuously against his chest, and sweat beaded his scales from the physical strain placed on his body.

 _It hurts...please make it stop. I want it to stop._

 ** _I don't want this pain anymore..._**

One gold eye cracked open from the sprawled-out position on the ground, barely visible under his green bangs; Zarc moved his gaze just enough to see Yuya bending down in front of him, his hand reaching towards his duel disk and deck. Knowing what the Pendulum duelist was aiming for, his heart suddenly seized in fear and almost stopped as a result. The demon struggled to rise to his feet and swipe the boy's hand back away from the items, but his body wouldn't respond to his wanted to cry out, to grab Yuya's wrist to make him stop, but he didn't even have the strength to move his head.

 _ **"No...no... please..."**_ he begged while giving up the remains of his dignity, his voice hoarse and almost silent. _**"They're... they're mine. Please..."** _Tears welled in his eyes as he managed to roll his head to the side, his gold eyes having lost all unearthly shine and now pleading for mercy. _ **"Please don't take them from me."**_

Zarc looked pathetic on the ground; he knew that. He lost to his worst enemy again if that indicated anything. Yuya heard his quiet voice, looking over at the demon duelist and seeing his doeful eyes. The boy immediately hesitated while fixated on the gaze, as there was something very familiar in the demon's hopelessness...

The boy's hand stopped in its reach, his attention focused on the defeated man lying on his side before him. Yuya realized that his heart was broken, slowly understanding Zarc's character and why he acted the way he did. Suffering. Misery. Helplessness. Fear. _Despair._

Yuya's heart panged in sympathy for Zarc; he wasn't a stranger to the demon's humble state or depression. Zarc was in utter _pain_ , but he didn't exactly know why he was in pain. Perhaps it had something to do with his relationship with the four dragons.

For a split second, Yuya second-guessed himself and cursed silently on his hastiness. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to do this, to take the dragons from the demon. Zarc truly wanted them as much as him, going so far as groveling and begging for him to stop. He was no longer proud or mighty in his perch over humanity, but now defenseless and unsure of his fate that was left in the counterparts' hands.

They could do whatever they want with him, and Zarc was now afraid of _them._

Yuya was about to pull back as he considered the demon's perspective in the situation, not wanting to give him more unnecessary heartache and find another way out of all this. But as if on cue, a small, seemingly innocent voice whispered in the boy's mind, one that was a master of causing doubt.

 _He destroyed the world. He killed hundreds of people out of pleasure, a sick sadist at best. And he would do it again if given the opportunity, but you can stop him. He's only pleading before you because he is weak. And he knows it, but if you give him that chance, Zarc will only manipulate you again. He'll pull at your heartstrings like every other entertainer because he knows his audience's heart, of what makes a person crumble to pieces. But his actions are, above all else, unforgivable._

The duelist shuddered as the voice's haunting words echoed in his mind; was it all an act? There was something twisted in its words, but he couldn't separate it fully from the truth. Some of what it whispered was indeed _right_ about Zarc.

 _Zarc will destroy again. But you can stop it. Stop him._

"Yuya, what are you waiting for?" Yuri voiced up behind him. He was growing steadily impatient by the minute, especially since the Entertainer had stopped in his attempt to retrieve his duel disk and their dragons.

Yuya sighed deeply, not hearing the Fusion counterpart's question. He didn't like what his head was implying, but it was right over a few things; Zarc did destroy the world in the past, and he used him and the others to do it again. If given the chance, there was a huge possibility that the demon would repeat history a third time. That was a dark path the boy wanted to avoid at all costs, and ending the demon's life would indeed erase any possibility of it ever happening again.

But killing him wouldn't solve much else, and Yuya felt conflicted on ending a life for that purpose. Zarc's evident pain wasn't fake or forced, not in the slightest; there's a genuine fear and hopelessness in his eyes. Deciding to compromise with his head and heart, Yuya swore that he wouldn't kill or end the demon, as cruel and immoral the act was. However, Zarc couldn't be trusted with the dragons either.

 _You might destroy everything again. And I won't let that happen._

The boy made his final decision; the dragons would be kept in his and his counterparts' possession. He himself would take good care of Odd-Eyes not only for the world's sake, but for Zarc's as well.

 _I want you to move on from the destruction and pain, Zarc. I know you can overcome this loss, but until then, the dragons will be a temptation. But perhaps in time, your heart can heal. I'll forgive you, then._

Making his choice, Yuya spoke in a confident yet soft voice to the demon, "That's enough, Zarc. They're not just yours anymore. We're their friends too, and we'll help them move on from all the destruction and pain of the past. We'll take good care of the dragons and have them smile again, so don't worry about that. It'll be better for everyone that way."

 _Including you._ Yuya didn't add in the last part.

With Zarc's melancholic heart breaking at his words, the boy grabbed the card that held his favorite monster first, smiling fondly at it before carefully picking up the others. He truly treasured that card, his ace and best friend that supported him through the war and torture.

"Let's go back _home,_ Odd-Eyes. Where we belong."

Seeing Yuya handing the other three dragons to his respective counterparts, Zarc tried calling to him again. _**"No...give them back. They're...they're all I have. Please..."** _

_Please! They're my family!_

Watching the only source of family and companionship get taken before his very eyes was Zarc's absolute worst fear, one that the boys were more or less unaware of. Tears were now falling freely down the demon's face and cheeks, his pride having long been gone and his will destroyed from his duel against Ray as he continued to beg for their mercy. His clawed fingers reached out to them, curling slightly. _**"Please give them back to me. Don't take them...don't take my friends away! Please!"**_

 _Please! I don't want to be alone again! Not again! Don't leave me here!_

A spark was suddenly ignited, and a thin layer of darkness, almost transparent even, covered the demon's body. As if hearing his despondent cries, the cards in the boys' hands suddenly glowed, shunning brightly with power as the souls inside them heard their master and felt his torment. They roared back in an effort to comfort Zarc and by mustering up their power, all of their strength and willpower, the spirits of the four dragons materialized themselves before their old and new masters. Their presence filled up the spacious alley entrance, which was surprisingly large enough to hold all of them (although no one at the moment questioned it).

They faced their respective counterparts with conflicted and sorrowful gazes, their souls torn between their alliance of staying with Zarc or going with them. Even Odd-Eyes, the happy-go-lucky dragon, was unsure, as he cared deeply for Yuya, his kind heart, and his entertainment style.

The boys stared at the dragons with identical expressions of shock, wondering how they appeared before them on their own. "Eh?! What's going on?!" Yugo's face blanched, blinking to make sure it wasn't something of his imagination.

Yuya voiced the question that was on all of their minds, "We didn't turn on our duel disks or activate an Action Duel in any way. How did they do that without the Solid Vision system?!"

Zarc himself felt his heart lifted when he noticed his four faithful friends standing before him, as if protecting his body from any possible harm. Looking at one another sadly, their souls were burdened. They didn't want to betray either side in favor of the other, having had enjoyable time with both Zarc and the counterparts...but their close friend needed help, and a difficult choice had to be made.

They were caught between a rock and a hard place as a result. Either option would come with a great cost, a great loss, but sometimes such a hard decision had to be made. It was a part of life, but it didn't make it any less painful. The dragons only wished for forgiveness and understand in the end from their masters, if they ever came to see the truth.

They only wished for them to understand and respect what they were about to do. Zarc suffered too much in the past to be left alone now.

With resolution in his beating soul and tearful orbs, Odd-Eyes stepped back from Yuya, lowered his crowned head, and whined softly to the boy, with the other dragons (save for Clear Wing, who hovered back) doing the same to their respective counterparts. Their gazes all softened as the boys quickly came to a revelation of what they've decided.

"Clear Wing?" Yugo called out in concern, reaching a hand out towards his friend. "What are you doing?"

"Wait..." Yuya felt his heart break apart from witnessing Odd Eyes's apparent rejection. "No...Odd Eyes, no! What's wrong?!"

Yuri narrowed his eyes at Starve Venom, who also appeared equally guilty. "Don't tell me you're preferring _him_ over _me!"_

The dragons lowered their heads even further to a humble, apologetic bow, their eyes saddened yet filled with resolve to defend their friend. It would be hard to let the boys go (although Starve Venom was a little more willing to leave Yuri than the others) from the bonds they formed and the memories they shared together.

But Zarc was alone. He had no one outside of them since his parents' deaths. The four guardians knew he needed them more than the boys if his heart was to change.

The dragons took another step (or hover in Clear Wing's case) back toward Zarc and curled their tails protectively around his fallen, winged body, much to his immense relief and joy. Zarc smiled weakly up at them, his teary eyes filled with genuine love and fondness for his four companions.

 ** _"Thank...thank you, guys."_** He didn't know what else to say. Even in his lowest point, the dragons chose to help him, just like they did back in the old days. _**"Thank you."**_

The boys, however, didn't take their decision well. If anything, they felt betrayed.

"Odd-Eyes...why?" Yuya felt tears brim to his eyelids, heartbroken that his best friend and faithful companion would leave. He was not angry with Zarc, knowing that it wasn't his fault for this. "Why won't you come back? Why are you leaving?"

 _Do you need to stay with Zarc?_

The others each held mixed responses of shock, anger, and sorrow, while the dragons kept their ground and asked them with their dispirited stares to go on and enjoy their lives without them. They had made their choice to stay with Zarc for his sake, as difficult as it was.

Yuri casted a malicious glare at the demon, whose head he managed to see between Dark Rebellion and Odd Eyes. "This is all your fault! You must have tricked them to choose you! I should've carded you when I had the chance!"

Yugo also glared at him; it wasn't right for his dragon to suddenly leave without him knowing why! Clear Wing especially wouldn't leave him like this. "I spent plenty of adventures with Clear Wing! He's a good dragon, and would never fly with a _demon_ like you!"

The dragons stiffened at their words, their hearts further divided. Clear Wing gave a mild roar rashly at his Synchro friend, asking him that it was best for them to go and hoping they would listen. Zarc heard the pain in their voices and planted his hands down, struggling to get up from his spot on the ground.

"Dark Rebellion has been a loyal friend to me since I was young!" Yuto shouted at Zarc, albeit with more despair than fury. "I won't trade him for anyone!"

The black-scaled, vengeful guardian glanced sharply at Yuto with his yellow eyes, also voicing his choice with confidence. The other dragons remained firm on the ground, trying not to force the boys to leave and further divide their relationship. Zarc ignored the pain ringing through his nerves as he forced himself to his feet, gripping the metal wall on his right to remain standing and panting heavily from the effort. His breaths were short from the strain he was putting on his wounded body.

 ** _"You...don't...understand,"_** he gasped out at the four boys, his posture hunched over.

"I think we understand plenty!" Yugo barked back. "The dragons wouldn't choose you over us in their right min—!"

"They did," Yuya confirmed sadly, staring at his dragons. He realized it now.

"What?!" Yugo barked in disbelief, gaping at the boy next to him.

 _ **"He's telling...the truth,"**_ Zarc clarified, taking deeper breaths to ease his pain a bit. _**"I can...hear...the voices...of duel spirits. I can tell you...why the dragons...made that decision."**_

"Is that so?" Yuri crossed his arms impatiently, his voice sharp and somewhat demanding. "Well, we're listening. Spill it."

Zarc averted their gaze, looking up at his four friends and smiling wearily. _**"We...have a...history, too."** _He started to feel lightheaded again, swaying a bit and nearly losing his balance against the brick wall. _**"They're...my...only friends..."**_

"What are you talking about?" Yuto asked curiously, confused as the rest of his counterparts. "We know you have a history with them, but so do we!"

 _ **"I...grew up...without a family..."** _Zarc gasped out, breathing heavier as he started to feel light-headed from the shock. _**"The dragons...have watched over me...my whole life... They're the closest I've ever had...to parents..."**_

The counterparts widened their eyes at this revelation, with Yugo particularly affected as shown by his slacked jaw. He knew more than anyone else what it was like to be an orphan and how much both Rin and Clear Wing meant to him, almost like actual family. Yuto and Yuri were less convicted, but they never knew nor remember their parents that well either, with Zarc being their sole precursor. Their aces also helped them through the pain and tough times, making sure they were never alone or forgotten.

The dragons briefly turned at their master at this, remembering the horrible pains he went through in his life as well as the fonder memories he shared with them. Zarc felt his consciousness slowly slipping from existence, his vision blurring and his body growing heavier to support from the pain and fatigue. He forced himself to stay awake as he struggled to explain more of his story.

 _ **"The orphanage...I grew up in...was not...the best of homes. I was beaten...neglected...and ridiculed for being able...to talk...to the dragons..."**_

The boys were not expecting this from their enemy, let alone have him reveal a history that was most likely personal, but Yuri scoffed indifferently. "How do we know you're not just saying this to get our sympathy? You manipulated our lives just so you can resurrect yourself and destroy everything, including _us._ You're most likely lying about all that trash."

"I don't think he is lying." Yuya was the only one who was sympathetic and trying to understand what the demon was telling them. He didn't know Zarc's life; none of them did. The demon was in a vulnerable position, and his tone sounded sincere yet weak. There was little doubt in the boy's mind that he would start lying, especially when their aces trusted him so faithfully. That didn't mean he liked their decision, however. "But we still have to take the dragons home with us."

Before Zarc could continue and make a defense, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he inevitably collapsed again from his injuries and exhaustion, left completely unconscious and still for a long while. His guardians grew worried about his weakening state; he needed medical treatment before things took a turn for the worse. Having not much time to waste, they quickly ushered the boys out of the area, whining and pleading louder. When they didn't budge from their spots at first, the dragons literally pushed them out the alley with their claws, casting aside the pang of guilt in their hearts from the treatment before rushing back to his side. But they were overwhelmed with sympathy for their master, who needed them more than ever.

The boys cried out in protest against the dragons, especially Yuya, who pleaded more with Odd-Eyes. "At least tell me why you are leaving! I'm not mad with you, Odd-Eyes, I just want to know!"

However, they had already returned to their master in the alley, doing whatever they could to take care of him and get to a safer place to recover.

"Hey! Don't just leave us out here!" Yugo shouted at them, particularly at Clear Wing. "Come back here, please!"

Yuto clenched his fists, staring desperately at the Xyz dragon. "Don't do this, Dark Rebellion! You're better than this!"

"Oh, so you're going to leave me after all?" Yuri snarled at Starve Venom, more flippant about their separation than the other boys. "You'll turn down a top-ranked duelist like me for a pathetic _demon?"_

Some of the dragons were growing steadily frustrated at their disapproval, while Odd-Eyes shook his head sadly. They wished it hadn't come to this, but they didn't have any other choice that would help their friend. Dark Rebellion and Starve Venom immediately faced the four and growled deeply, at that point threatening them to leave or else face dire consequences.

This shocked most of the boys to their hearts, and left disdain from others. Yuya's soul was tossed in shambles from this more than the others. The dragons were truly leaving them out of their volition, their choice, in favor of the enemy, the demon who destroyed everything in his path. Their closest friends, who stayed with them throughout their lives, didn't want them anymore. They wanted Zarc; they needed Zarc.

Yuto took a step back, feeling his heart _shatter_ into little pieces. "No..."

Yugo mirrored Yuya's devastation, his eyes wide with disbelief as tears started to freely fall down his face. "C-Clear Wing...he doesn't want me...none of the dragons want us anymore."

The Xyz and Fusion dragons kept their ground, the former also filled with grief that they had to part ways like this with their owners. Clear Wing helped Zarc onto Odd-Eyes' back, tucking his wings in for better support on the crimson brethren's scales before calling out to the others that they were about to depart.

"No! Odd-Eyes!" Yuya screamed in a shrill voice, reaching a hand out to his dragon. He was desperate to have his ace back. "Please, don't leave!"

"Dark Rebellion, please!" Yuto added harshly with emotional pain in his tone, his hardened resolve also shaken.

Yugo burst into tears and let them fall from his eyes, too upset to say anything towards the Synchro dragon.

Yuri narrowed his eyes angrily and lashed out at his former ace monster, but there was a veiled layer of sadness behind it that reflected his true sorrow. "Fine. then! Go ahead and leave, Venom! I'll just find a new ace to replace you! A better one!" A lone tear threatened to fall from his left eye.

Starve Venom was taken aback by his harsh words nevertheless, staying silent before skulking back to the other dragons without another word or sound. While Dark Rebellion took Zarc's deck, leaving all of Yuya's monsters behind, Odd-Eyes looked back one last time to meet his former master's gaze, bowing his head to pick up his brethren's cards in his beak.

The Pendulum duelist's head was lowered to the ground, letting the tears on his face fall and splatter on the cemented ground. His fists were clenched and then unclenched, both shoulders shaking out of sadness, his heart filled with grief that he had lost his best friend. If the boy still had his goggles, he would've most likely lowered them over his eyes to hide his sorrow.

It broke Odd-Eyes' heart in many pieces. Yuya was absolutely _devastated_. But deep inside, unknown to anyone else...he respected the dragon's decision.

 _I just wish I knew why you need him. Could you at least tell me why before you go? I want to understand more._ The boy blinked back tears, looking up at Odd-Eyes. Something then clicked in his mind about Odd-Eyes' relationship with Zarc, one that would make sense to why they were all walking away. _Can you heal his heart?_

Yuto wasn't holding up any better. Despite his best efforts to hide it, several stray tears fell down his face and he took deep shaky breaths to repress his uneven sobs, his heart torn between sadness and anger at the loss of his beloved ace. Yugo was also in pain, trying to wipe it away as the river of sorrow continued to flow. He was never a master of hiding his emotions. And Yuri, deeply hurt, let his lone tear fall down his cheek. He continued to curse harshly, but his voice was heartbroken. He missed his dragon and wasn't handling his loss very well.

The pain, the feeling of betrayal and loss, was too great for all of them. Yuya alone was silent, covering his eyes from view.

With heavy hearts the dragons slowly made their way further down the alley and into the shadows with their old master, leaving the boys at the entrance of it in misery and heartache. They broke down in despair, weeping for their lost friends and knowing that they might never see them again for the rest of their lives.

 _"Odd-Eyes..."_

 _"Dark Rebellion!"_

 _"CLEAR WING!"_

 _"Starve Venom!"_

Their cries were only heard by the empty, twilight sky above. The boys were soon left alone and crying.

* * *

In the midst of the painful split, no living soul noticed the man standing on the rooftop of a nearby brick apartment, broken beyond repair and having been abandoned many years ago. His white robes flowed majestically in the wind, its gold lining and decor shining brightly under the fading sunlight. His blond hair and bangs fluttered gently in tandem with his robe, but his purple gaze was hardened, glaring down at the unconscious demon with pure hate.

The man observed everything that had just happened. And he was downright _furious._

"So. It appears the Supreme King lives." Unadulterated malice laced his tone, a malice that forebode a darker personality. "And he foiled my plans not once, but _twice._ That cursed Darkness managed to stop me for the last time..."

A dark voice chuckled in his mind, its tone far more ethereal and deeper than the man's _. "How pathetic. He had two chances to do the fun for us, but he blew both of them. You wasted your time hoping to get some fun out of him if this was the end result. And he still lives...don't you agree this needs to be stopped, host?"_

"How unfortunate, that a filthy demon like him should still walk the earth..."

 _"Yet he is the deity that your father acknowledges, alongside the dragons and demons."_

"No, he is the _host_ of one," the man retorted with a sharp, cruel tongue. His eyes narrowed slightly, reflecting the malice and turmoil buried deep in his heart. "As for my father, that old man is nothing but a senile old fool, dreaming about silly fairytales. He cared more about that stupid prophecy than about loving his own firstborn son. I'll get back at him too...eventually."

A playful chuckle, slightly sinister, resounded in the air. _"Oh? Then I presume you know how to get back to Heaven? After all, everything he did against you was because of that so-called demon you despise. Your kind naturally rages against his; they plagued against your people for years, so do you think killing the Supreme King will free you of exile?"_

"I don't care about the exile anymore."

 _"Is it because you don't want to be under your father's control anymore?"_

"I KNOW, okay?" The man's lip curled in disgust. "You don't have to remind me of matters left in the past...everything will come my way soon enough. But...the Supreme King is _somehow_ still alive. That isn't how things should be! My plan was so perfect; there were no flaws found in it! I was in total control over him and this world, everything was finally going my way, I was on my way of obtaining absolute power...but..."

 _"But what?"_ The voice was enjoying its host's rising anger and hatred, which fueled its own.

"BUT his DAMNED power ruined everything again!"

 _"Language."_

"Shut up." The man was seething with rage, and the voice's teasing was not helping his case.

 _"Insulting me again? How childish of you."_

"How ironic, since I'm _your_ host." The man clenched his hands as his anger overwhelmed his senses, growling in a dark tone that was reminiscent to a beast. "That cursed devil...this isn't what I wanted. He shouldn't be alive!"

 _"So then go kill him. You said it yourself...if it weren't for the demon's existence as the king of all spirits, perhaps then your father would have treated you better. Furthermore, this world hates the Supreme King, so he's the villain here anyway. You're not in the wrong for killing him."_

The man kneeled down, his whole body shaking with unadulterated rage. "You're right...this is all his fault..."

 _"He had his chances in the past, and they both ended in failure. But it ended up in our favor anyway! Now he's feared and hated by every man, woman, and child in the physical dimensions. Nobody will miss him if he were to suddenly...vanish."_

"You're absolutely right...like always."

 _"So what's stopping you? He's still alive as we speak."_

 **RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAARRRGGHHHHHH!"** In absolute rage, blinded by his rampant emotions and letting the evil inside him take full control, the man forced all of his power into his clenched fist till the knuckles turned pale white, punching the cement roof below him. He was unfazed as cracks formed from the blow, and a hole was visible and large enough to reveal the lower levels of the decrepit building.

His eyes blazed with wrath. "That cursed, hellish Darkness! How dare that pathetic freak continues to draw breath! That monster should instead be long dead! Why is he ALIVE?!" The man punched the cement again and again in hatred for his enemy, not caring that his knuckles started to bleed. His fury grew along with his tolerance, both pupils slitted before whitening with an unholy glow. _"THAT DEMON SHOULD BE DEAD AND ROTTING IN **HELL!"**_

His roar filled the once silent air, sounding like an enraged, bloodthirsty monster out for revenge. Snarls and growls escaped the man's throat as he relentlessly punched and blasted the roof without hesitation for many more minutes. The aftermath was disastrous, with the entire top level nearly obliterated by his power when he started to slow down for a short break.

There was no blood on his knuckles. Not even a speck.

Catching his breath in quiet pants after releasing all of his pent-up fury, his hands and knees resting on the remaining rubble, the blond growled in frustration when the enemy disappeared from view. The dragons had made their escapade with little notice.

"But...no matter. He is still weak, and I know where he is. I can kill him at the right moment."

 _"Yessss...you most certainly can."_ Sarcasm dripped from the entity's tone after witnessing its host's outburst. _"Soooooo...will you?"_

His growls, fueled by a hidden bloodlust, gave way to small giggles. His frown twisted up into a sickening smile, a sneer that split his features from ear to ear. As his anger slowly turned into joy, the man hugged his sides in an attempt to control his sanity. If any outsider heard or saw this man, they would've assumed him to be bipolar or insane, deserving to be locked up in an asylum for such unsettling behavior.

The blond man realized his new opportunity, a chance to correct his past mistakes. "I can still end it. There is still time left." He rose slowly to his feet, shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

 _"Then do it. End him! Make him suffer."_

His wrath soon dissipated, only to be replaced by a horrific, cacophonic laugh. The blond leaned his neck back and cackled triumphantly into the sky, the shrill cry ringing in short bursts, while his body shuddered in anticipation at the thought of ending his enemy with ease. "I can still end it all! I CAN!"

 _I'll kill him!_

 _"Yessss...I'll give you more of my power so you could fulfill your goals. Vanquish our foe...once and for all!"_

In the midst of his unhinged laughter, a lean-muscled hand reached into the inside of his robe, pulling out a glowing silver sword with a gold handle. Power surged through it, _his_ power. There was a great evil inside the energized weapon, and from inside his heart, the unknown corners of his soul, a baritone voice filled with unimaginable _hate_ thundered from his lips as the evil took over his mind...

 _KILL HIM! WATCH HIM DIE! **I'LL SEE THE LIGHT FADE FROM HIS EYES FOR GOOD!**_

There was no end to its hunger for destruction, determined to kill its enemy by any means necessary. The man himself reflected that trait with an impossibly wide smile and crazed eyes, and for a moment, there was a slight glow in his slitted pupils...

"I'll kill that demon, destroy those cards, and then nothing will stop me from my goals!" He turned his twisted gaze back to the empty alley, his eyes shining ominously. _"After all, in every story ever told, no matter how hard the enemy tries, the heroic Light always wins against the evil Darkness."_

* * *

 **And thus ends this chapter. Whelp. That was a fun ride. And ooooh, that ending.**

 **Anyway, reviews!**

 ** _To Shimmering-Sky: Yup. That happened. And here you go!_**

 ** _To Epsilon Tarantula: YAY! I WANTED THAT! YAYAYYAYAYAYA!_**

 ** _To Yuka Kuroshiro: HAHAHAHHAHA! NOPE! IT GETS WORSE!_**

 ** _To Ulrich362: We shall see. But it does get worse._**

 ** _To Sanokal: I think you'll like this one._**

 ** _To Samueljoo: Yeah...he was._**

 ** _To Guest: Thanks!_**

 ** _To Venomous Blade: THANKS! I feel honored! I checked out your story and it is really good! I'll try to finish it soon! :D_**

 ** _To KuriMaster 13: The effect is 7000 or more. I checked the card to know._** ** _And thanks!_**

 ** _To Donjusticia: WELL, HERE YOU GO! BAH-BAAAAAMMMMMM!_**

 ** _To Ghostkid33: Haha, thanks for the help!_**

 ** _To ThePLOThand: I gave my reasons of why this is an AU (it started with the Trap), and how it is a case of show, don't tell. I'm still editing the chapters anyway, so no worries! And yes, you found it!_**

 ** _To Scalchop Warrior: I LOVE your reaction. XD_**

 ** _To Leafeon12: Zarc couldn't do anything here. XD_**

 ** _To 4fireking: OOH, YAAAY!_**

 ** _To Oblivian03: Thank you! :D_**

 ** _To aqua9597: And he is about to suffer even more._**

 ** _To Gentyman: Thank you! And don't worry, I'm still updating that chapter, so it will include your suggestion! I missed it, to be honest! So thanks again!_**

 **Time for the question! Will Zarc encounter this stranger? And if so, how will it end?**

 **Hope ya like this chapter! Till next time, this is CTA out and God is good!**


	5. Times are Changing

**Alright, it was a bit of a wait, but here is the third chapter. :D Sorry for the long wait, I was busy on Google Plus and doing a surplus of RPs with you-know-who. Anyway, here is chapter 3 for this story! :D**

 **Huge thanks to _Ghostkid33_ and _Donjusticia_ for helping me with this chapter! I couldn't have done it without them! You guys are the best! :D**

 **So this is more of an exposition chapter, but also somewhat important in a few details. I hope it comes out alright. :) Also, I've been thinking of doing a little one-shot series featuring some ins and outs of this AU universe, mostly with Zarc. :) What do you guys think?**

 **Happy belated Easter, everyone!**

* * *

Devastation. That was all everyone could remember from that fateful day.

The day that the war ended. The day the demon returned. The day everyone's lives changed forever, their hopes dashed to pieces.

Much time had passed by since the final, devastating battle in the Fusion Dimension between the people and the evil god, Supreme King Dragon Z-Arc. There were a great number of casualties from his short yet deadly rampage, and even more were left seriously injured and in severe risk of death at various hospitals and medical units within the area.

A week since the incident, a medical report in the Fusion Dimension was soon filed and made: twenty-seven deaths in total, seventeen of which were children. Thirty-eight were left with severe burns and injuries, and eight also trapped in comas; it was uncertain whether they would recover or not.

Two weeks passed, and more victims were found. It was a tragic loss for the citizens of the Fusion Dimension, and an even greater tragedy to the families who lost their sons and daughters, their fathers and mothers.

And that wasn't counting the endless victims in the other dimensions as well, albeit mostly from the war than the demon.

The war between the four worlds was indeed over, but the horrors left behind were more traumatizing and unbearable on its victims from all sides. Everyone was in shambles either physically, psychologically, or emotionally.

Families were left divided. Buildings and homes were destroyed, left to rot. Hundreds of citizens suffered mentally from the aftermath of the endless fighting and attacks, having lost all hope and sanity months before peace was finally established. Others were burdened with the crimes of murder and prejudice, overwhelmed with emotion of what they did against the innocent. Soldiers of all ranks felt guilt for everything they had done, tearing at their heads in grief and despair of how "they didn't deserve this."

It wasn't a hunting game anymore. This was reality. Earth-shattering reality.

The end didn't justify the means...not for them. Their scars, planted deep into their minds and souls, would forever remain. No amount of therapy or visits to the psychiatrist could change the past, the horrors they had to witness.

However, there was suspense lingering in the air, still terrorizing people in all four dimensions. They couldn't forget the sudden climax of the war, the reveal of the god-like demon who sought to annihilate everyone and everything in his path. Even in the silence that rested among the dimensions, there was no peace. The tension in the air was thick with one, unsolved mystery that many desired to be soon resolved.

Zarc was nowhere to be seen. He had completely disappeared, vanished from the face of the earth.

At first it was hopeful when days turned into weeks with no signs of him; perhaps the demon also suffered heavy loss in his last duel. Others believed that he succumbed to his injuries and died, albeit it was a shallow pipe dream for them. For the majority, one way or another, he wasn't coming back as more time dragged on.

But the Lancers, especially their leader, were firm, adamant that Zarc had survived the blast, even if being hit by such a large amount of energy point-blank would've led to devastating injuries or worse. They barely survived the trap with the little cover they had, but he had no chance to run or hide from it. Yet Reiji Akaba feared that one day the demon duelist somehow survived, would recuperate, and return to finish the destruction that he started. It was hard to explain why they continued to press on the issue or this feeling that he was alive.

He had become a ghost to them, a lost phantom traveling in the dark, haunting the recesses of everyone's minds. He became the demon of nightmares. Children were forced by their own imaginations to stay up late at night, petrified and waiting for any sign that he would come back...

Only to be afraid of nothing. Yet that alone was terrifying.

Despite the petrifying paranoia planted deep in everyone's hearts about the issue, there had been some progress after the war. All of the dimensions were recovering from the effects of the war, some slower than others. After the revelation of the Arc Area Project to the entire world, as well as the destruction caused by Academia to the Xyz Dimension under the guise of creating a utopia, Leo Akaba was stripped of his position as its Professor. Parents and families were furious that their children, the sons and daughters of the new generation, were either murderers, captives of war or dead.

After all, what parent would be comfortable with the knowledge that their once sweet and innocent child was trained to be a cold-hearted _killer?_ It was unthinkable, to say the least. Children were supposed to be innocent, guided and growing in life by loving parents rather than a cold and brooding leader. Many rioted against Leo in the Fusion Dimension, as if the "Professor" wasn't already humiliated enough by his own motives and actions.

They all held the man accountable for the crimes held against their sons and daughters as well as against the Xyz Dimension, and soon the military school was scheduled to be closed permanently. Leo himself had an upcoming hearing in the Pendulum Dimension, guilty for all the wrongdoings he had forced the Academia students to commit. Days dwindled by, and one by one the students and teachers were sent back to their homes and families for recovery. It was unfortunate that some of the children had their minds already twisted or traumatized by the horrors of the war, a great shame to their fathers and mothers.

With the deadline approaching near, now a month since the last battle, Leo was left in more despair than before. Despite the extreme evils he had committed in the past few years, it was all for a goal that he feared was unreachable. After all, this wasn't his home. The Fusion Dimension, Xyz, Synchro, Standard, they didn't feel _real._ The man felt alienated, a stranger in a foreign land that should never even exist.

So was Leo willing to sacrifice the four worlds, these "illusions," to bring back the one home he knew and loved? Yes, in a heartbeat. If he had more power, if he could snap his fingers and have everything return to normal, when Zarc didn't destroy everything and Ray didn't have to split herself up to stop him...

Leo would've done it.

He had lost everything, even his family and dignity, just to retrieve his daughter and home back, but...it all failed.

 _Why? Was I too hasty?_

Why did his efforts fail? What was he missing? He looked over all the equations, the data, the experiments, everything! The Arc Area Project was supposed to succeed in reuniting the worlds and reviving Ray! If anything, he just needed a little more time, and then he would've had his daughter back and also stop Zarc from returning!

But that was the problem: he ran out of time. Fifteen years of searching, fifteen years of calculating and experimenting, fifteen years of waiting, and it all went down the drain. Leo took in the truth with a heavy heart; _he couldn't save anyone._

He couldn't stop Zarc. Now the demon was loose in the world once more, and it was only a matter of time before his victory was imminent. He would stop at nothing till everything was destroyed, "just as the audience all wanted." Leo personally was left in more guilt as he realized that his own actions, his ideals of creating a utopia, not only left even more people to suffer, but that they would speed up his foe's revival.

Zarc's counterparts came together because of him. Everything that involved the demon was Leo's fault, whether it was the discovery of the Solid Vision system, his desire to unite the original world no matter the cost, his efforts to revive Ray...

It didn't matter what the end result would be. By donning the role as the Professor of Academia, Leo became the villain of the war, even if with well-meaning intentions of returning things to what they used to be.

He never regarded the devastating consequences that came with those ideals, and now everyone suffered for it. He was blind. But things were different now.

Even when dealing with loss, Leo could never let go of the past. Ray was still out there, and he had glimpsed a piece, a small, almost meaningless part, of her. Leo missed her, but he also missed something else; there was one last variable the man hadn't considered until recently, one that could make or break all of his efforts...

The man _had_ to make sure if there was still a chance.

Now standing in the main throne room of Academia, Leo Akaba was typing away on a keyboard, his eyes fixated on the monitor in front of him as he read the diagnosis from the remains of his Arc-V machine. It needed repair, lots of repair.

He sighed wearily; was it possible to revive his daughter with the little resources and time he had left? There was not much point in rushing anymore, but the Arc-Area project was still underway. If he couldn't bring back their original world even with the large amount of energy he gathered from the war, there was still a slim chance with the pieces he has to finish at least part of his plan.

Especially with the new discovery he had recently made, unknowingly thanks to his own son: his adoptive daughter, Reira. The girl was considered as the youngest "Lancer" (Reiji donned the title of his own formation of duelists after the tenacity and strength of the medieval knight, which Leo considered as somewhat ingenious but lackluster in originality). But Reira had incredible skill for her age, able to reach the top of the Junior section of the Maiami Championship tournament under the guidance of Himika and her older brother, albeit with a serious flaw: his PTSD.

Reiji didn't reveal much to Leo about her past, but he understood that she had survived another war, one that involved weapons and guns designed to kill people rather than duel disks that turn them into cards. Reira was saved from a destroyed region of a city caught up in the war, but suffered

Ray was proven to be inside Reira for some reason; or, at least, a link between them was established to the point where the child heard her voice and became her host to stop Zarc. If Reira was with him from the beginning, would the man have a better chance, an opportunity, to revive his daughter?

The girl was integrated in that mystery somehow. And being the ambitious, curious character he was, Leo wondered if it was still possible...

Speaking of Reira, she was currently unconscious and floating inside the only capsule that remained intact after Zarc's destruction of Academia. Her body was showing physical remnants of the shockwaves she was attacked with from Zarc's remaining trap card. Her long hair was tangled in a few places, bruises dotted her otherwise youthful face, cuts and scratches bled here and there on her skin, and her clothing was all torn up.

Leo glanced back at the Lancer, his eyes showing a glimmer of uncertainty. Was Reira really the last piece needed to resurrect his daughter? Was that why his previous attempt didn't work, despite lacking enough time?

"Were you really Ray's host?" he asked aloud, more to himself than directly to the child. The words lingered in the air, filled with meaning while the man watched the child as if waiting for her to wake up and answer. But as Leo had expected, nothing really happened, leaving him to sigh wearily. Rubbing his forehead, Leo turned back to his last project at hand, his mind running with one thought. _Perhaps...I can use her as a conduit for the En cards._

Leo mulled the choice over. This was his last chance to get Ray back, and with such an opportunity in his hands, the former Professor would rather die than not see her again. There was no telling what would happen to the girl if he used this experiment on her, even if the consequences in this scenario were less drastic compared to the lives he used to activate the Arc-Area project. But the machine was very low in power, so the chances of Reira dissolving into particles were also incredibly low.

It might just work with no more casualties. If the man could find the right frequency that was low enough to keep Reira alive and intact, but also powerful enough to be able to gather up the potential energy inside the chamber and bring his daughter back...

He was so close, practically tasting victory. It was within his grasp. Accomplishment. His purpose nearly fulfilled.

It could work. No, it _must_ work.

Leo pulled out the four En cards and slid them into a panel next to the keyboard that was attached to the machine. He started inputting commands into the computer for the energy input and output.

 _I have to do this just right..._

There was no more room for error, and he had nothing else to lose. Everything had to be exact, right down to the last excruciating detail.

After typing in the final code, Leo stared at Reira's tube and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."

 _And everything._

He pushed the button. The machine started to power up with the strength of the En Cards. The capsule glowed, the light from it illuminating Reira's small frame as tiny sparks of energy moved and shimmered through it like plasma in a lava lamp.

Leo silently prayed, closing his eyes. Minutes seemed to tick away into hours as he waited forever for the machine to work alongside the four cards. _Please make it, Ray..._

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. All the En cards did was just pump power into the machine, and no signs of a woman were seen inside. Leo felt hope slipping through his fingers. "No...no, that can't be it!"

Fifteen years went down the drain, just like that. All his work, his efforts, his dedication and resolve to bring his eldest child back, it was all in vain. Ray was never coming back.

Leo lowered his bald head in defeat, leaning against the keyboard and crying fresh tears from his eyes. He wasted so much time and life for such a foolish dream! "My daughter...I'm sorry I failed you. I'm so, _so_ sorry for everything. I wish we had more time together before that day..."

One tear splattered down onto the keys.

But then suddenly, as if his sorrowful cries were heard by God above, a miracle happened. His head was still bowed and his gaze focused downward, so Leo didn't notice it at first, but the energy of the En Cards steadily merged with Reira's body and proceeded to do the impossible in science. The familiar four colors streamed like water into the girl, accumulating together inside her core and touching the spirit dwelling inside the vessel.

A bright light blinded the whole capsule, too dazzling in nature for anyone to marvel at, making Leo notice from his peripheral and look up. His eyes squinted from the brightness in suspense, yet his grieving heart was again hopeful. "Could it be...?"

The light blocked out any resemblance of Reira in the capsule, filling up the whole container with itself. Smoke wafted out between the cracks from the overload of power surging inside. Leo winced from the eyestrain and forced himself to lean closer despite the overwhelming light; he wanted to make sure he spotted any sign of Ray for himself to make sure his plan worked.

It was impossible to tell for a few moments, but he refused to give in to doubt. And then, a wispy mist flowed out from the silhouette that was Reira, before slowly growing and shaping into the form of a certain young woman...

Leo smiled widely, letting more tears fall down his cheeks. He did the impossible. "Ray."

She was tall, a little above average height as a young adult woman, with her maroon hair tied up in two long pigtails by light blue hair-clips. As her body began to solidify and stabilize, her almost flawless complexion and clothing could be seen, materializing also.

The man didn't waste another second at the panel, forcing his tired legs to move past their limits as he rushed to the capsule to open the small door. More tears welled in his eyes, but he didn't wipe them away, too full with joy to care about his physical state. "Ray! My daughter!"

She was half conscious inside the machine, eyes closed as she moaned in response at the sound of her father's voice. Her body swayed warningly, ready to fall, and Leo quickly caught her before she collapsed to the ground face-first.

He held her gently in his arms. "Ray..."

She moaned softly. "D-Dad...?" Her voice cracked softly, sounding very fatigued. It had been fifteen years since he heard her caring voice, fifteen years since he held her in his arms.

Leo smiled warmly as tears of joy trailed down, staining his once hardened face. "Yes, Ray. I'm here. You're here..."

It took a few seconds for the woman to process what he was saying, but regained her mental bearings when she did. The first memory that flashed in her mind was the horrific incident back in their old home, seeing the endless destruction everywhere, hearing people screaming and running for their lives, feeling the painful split afterwards...

Her vision was blurry at first as Ray finally opened her eyes, revealing their purple-crimson hues, and blinked a couple times to help it adjust. Once it cleared, the first thing she focused on was her father's face. "I'm...alive?"

"YES!" Leo embraced her with tears of joy streaming down his face. His daughter had finally returned, thanks to his efforts. They were not in vain; he was successful in saving his daughter! "Yes, Ray! You're alive! Thank the gods!"

The woman processed more on what just happened. She was back, with her father of all people. With wet eyes, she hugged him back with equal enthusiasm, also overjoyed to see Leo again. "Dad!"

"I can't believe it! You're actually here!"

Father and daughter were locked in each other's embrace, savoring the moment to relish the feel of the other. Endless tears flowed down their cheeks, wetting their shoulders until their eyes grew puffy and red. They didn't care if they were sobbing their hearts out; it had been so long since the two were last reunited.

"Fifteen years...I've waited fifteen years for your return, my daughter."

"It's been that long?" Ray's voice cracked again from exhaustion. Time was lost on her during her dormancy inside the four Bracelet girls, and thus was astounded that she was dead for that long.

Leo looked at her straight in the eye, his stare now more serious. "It has, unfortunately. So much time has passed, and many things have changed."

Ray grew a little worried; she couldn't have been dormant for such a lengthy period of time. "Fifteen years? It didn't seem to be that long..."

Leo's hands massaged her shoulders slightly, taking in the feeling of the white cloth; even her clothes hadn't changed since that fateful day, albeit they were a bit dirty. "That's because your soul fragments were in a suspended state of dormancy inside your reincarnations. Their bodies preserved your legacy, both your life and health, which must have caused time for you to stop. You haven't aged a bit."

"My soul fragments? Reincarnations?" Unlike her enemy, Ray was unaware of her own counterparts, who were created originally from her death. She had no idea about them, so this left her in huge confusion as an amnesiac.

Leo sighed sadly out of worry for her memories. His daughter still had a lot to learn about the current world—well, worlds. "It's a long story..."

Ray paused for a moment before a warm smile graced her features. She looked so calm and patient in that moment, it was almost surreal. "Well, I have all the time in the universe, Dad. You can tell me all about it over the next few days."

Her father embraced her form one final time, enjoying the peaceful time for once. He finally had his daughter back, his eldest child who sacrificed her life to save his. He could never repay that debt...but he could certainly try to be a better father. He could live again with the triumph and joy of bringing Ray back, despite the odds and complications that were stacked against him.

If it weren't for the current situation concerning his lawsuit, they could all go back to being a normal family. He could finally leave the past of the old world, of his struggles, of Academia, all behind him. However, both father and daughter forgot about the machine that was still powered up beside them.

It hummed with the energy of the En Cards, which flowed in the capsule before spreading to the other parts of the machine. Reira's body was still floating inside the main capsule as the energy that was clustered in her core reached out to the other spirits within her body. Almost immediately, the four fragments that dwelled inside the girl, their souls lingering inside the machine itself, soon returned to the other empty, cracked capsules in the room in a flurry of green and white particles of light.

Leo and Ray noticed it this time and looked up. "What in the world?"

The woman slowly stood up, with her father supporting her with an arm around her back as she was not used to her legs yet. The particles before them gathered together into four bodies, all clothed, each of them sporting a familiar face.

A soft gasp escaping her lips, her eyes widened, shock written on her features. Ray could hardly believe what she was staring at. "Those faces...they look like me!" She didn't know what else to say or think; if anything, even though they were younger, she would've mistaken them as clones. "Why are there four girls who have the exact same appearance as me?!"

Leo also recognized the girls—they somehow survived the machine? "They're your fragments. Yuzu Hiragi, Rin, Serena, and Ruri Kurosaki."

Ray couldn't believe her eyes. "My fragments?" She stared at the girls in disbelief.

Leo nodded. "Yes. One for each dimension."

She stood, flabbergasted. "Wow. I...had no idea. I reincarnated into them? And wait, dimension?"

"Your first battle against that _demon"_ —there was venom in his tone for a brief moment—"caused everything to split into four pieces, including yourself and him." Leo furrowed his brows. "Even the United City, our old home, is divided in four separate worlds."

Ray was trying to comprehend what her father was saying. "I see. So that means...our home is gone." She felt discouraged from the new revelation.

"It is sadly true that it no longer exists." Leo placed a hand on her shoulder as to comfort the woman. "But don't worry, there are still a few landmarks of our original home that survived."

Ray perked up slightly at this. "What about our friends? Distant relatives?"

Leo became crestfallen; he hadn't seen or heard anything from them since the split. "I...don't know."

She lowered her head at the implication. "I see..." Deciding to focus on something else to clear the tension, the woman looked at the lab around her. "What is this place?"

Leo saw her confused gaze and explained with a soft chuckle, "Right now, you are in the Fusion Dimension. What you are seeing here is my laboratory inside Academia's throne room."

Ray nodded slowly, giving a knowing smirk. "Another lab, father? And what is this one for?"

He shifted uncomfortably, averting her eyes. "Um...well, it was for..."

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"It was for reviving you," the father explained after a pause, "and our old home."

"Oh..." She glanced at the machine before them. "So that's how I was able to get to Zarc..." The name made her brow furrow, but in confusion more than anger. She remembered that name and that something happened between them that caused their deaths...

 _But what was it?_ Perhaps the rest of her memory will return in later weeks.

Leo grimaced from the mention of the demon; he hated that villain with all his heart. "As for him, Zarc was also resurrected."

That made Ray perk up, her eyes snapping up to meet her father's irritated scowl. "What? Zarc is alive?!"

"Yes," Leo replied solemnly. "However, in his last duel, he pulled a cowardly move and then disappeared altogether. All I know is that his counterparts reported him to be somewhere in Miami City, which is in another dimension."

"Miami City?" Ray parroted, still confused. She figured it to be a place far away from their current locations. "Well, how will we get there?"

"Thankfully, technology has advanced considerably since our old life," he explained with pride. "I have a teleporter we can use!"

Ray giggled, smiling again. "Oh, really? We can definitely use that." She then glanced up at Reira and the girls—they were all still in their capsules—and her eyebrows knitted with concern. "But what about them?"

Leo also turned to see the girls. He mused for a moment about what to do with them; it was clear they needed immediate medical attention from being trapped inside the machine for a long time. "We'll bring them along."

Nodding once to himself, the man turned to the keyboard and quickly typed in another set of commands to the computer, asking it to turn off the machine before it caused any more casualties. He didn't want to accidentally kill the girls or the Lancer inside with the press of a wrong button.

Ray glanced at the boy and Yuzu, ignoring the fact that the girl had the same face as her. "I can carry those two."

Leo nodded, running a gloved hand over the metal plate on his head. "I'll see if I can take the other girls..."

After a couple more minutes of typing, the remains of the machine powered down, causing Reira and the girls to fall in a heap inside the capsules. Leo grabbed the En cards from the computer before walking over and opening the containers up.

Ray helped him with their unconscious bodies, taking the small girl, who was once her vessel, carefully in her arms before turning to Yuzu. She furrowed her brows in intrigue, having a good look at the young girl. "So she's one of my fragments...'

Yuzu had the same facial features, but she was a few years younger and shorter in appearance (Ray estimated that she was around fifteen). She glanced at the other girls, noticing that their features were also identical to hers.

Ray raised an eyebrow as the reality of the situation settled in. "So they really are my reincarnations. I never would've thought of it."

"Thought of what?"

"Having four...mini-me's." That earned a chuckle from both of them. "I mean...this is weird. Really weird. I will probably never get used to this, at least, not for a long while."

"Trust me when I say this, Ray." Leo patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Knowing you, my daughter, you will get used to it."

Deciding to ponder on the mystery of her counterparts later, Ray carefully reached into the capsule and grabbed Yuzu. The girl was a little lightweight for her, which was a relief as she had to carry both her and Reira.

She gently threw both of them over her shoulders as her father got the other three girls. Leo grunted from the physical exertion; it was a little more difficult for him as he had less arms than girls to carry. Taking a deep breath and heaving their bodies over himself, he struggled to support them all to the best of his ability: Serena was sprawled flush on his back while he draped both Ruri and Rin on his shoulders. Their combined weight was a little heavy, but the man did manage to hold on to them long enough to carry them out of the lab.

Still, it didn't go unnoticed by his daughter's sharp eyes. "You okay, father?" Ray asked in concern.

He grunted, working on a grimace. "Yes, I'm fine. I just need to hang on long enough to get these girls out of here."

"Then let's do this quickly for your sake," she replied without a second to waste.

Leo nodded and led the way to the teleporter, hobbling a bit from the strain the girls were putting on his muscles. Ray followed right behind him, making sure he was holding them alright and that he wouldn't collapse to the floor from the strain. She was always concerned for his well-being.

 _I wish I took that sacrifice instead of you, Ray._

Thankfully, an Academia student was passing by on their way there and offered to help them with the load when he noticed the Professor's strained face. Ray didn't bother to ask any more questions, letting the young lad willingly help the man by taking one of the girls.

He took Serena off his back, allowing Leo to stand up straight in relief. "Thank you, young man." With a slight jerk of his head, the student nodded in respect, while the father turned to his daughter. "Are you okay with those two?"

She nodded reassuringly, sporting a wide, beaming grin. "I'm fine! They're surprisingly not that heavy."

Leo couldn't help but smile; she always managed to find a way to help and be optimistic about it. "Alright. Let's go."

With the extra hands of the student, they reached the teleporter in a matter of minutes. Leo opened the door, venturing inside it first while Ray trailed behind with her load. When they reached their final destination, Serena was once again placed on his back, and the former Academia leader bowed slightly to the student in gratitude.

"Thank you again. Have a safe trip home, Fubuki." He was sincere in his words for the young man helping them.

The polite student bowed modestly before leaving (but not before passing a flirtatious wink to Ray), helping them set the coordinates for Miami City. That left Leo to close the door as the teleporter hummed to life, adjusting his hold on Rin and Ruri.

Ray stayed close to him, standing side by side. "I still find it hard to believe it's been _fifteen_ years."

Leo gazed at her sadly, reminiscing on the time passing by. "Yes. The world has moved forward in the years, but you haven't."

"Looks like I have some catching up to do." She laughed in a soft voice, then glanced up at his aged face, smiling knowingly. "You, for one thing, certainly look older. I almost didn't recognize you at first with that metal...contraption on your head." Her eyebrows knitted with worry, realizing that even her dear father had changed so much without her.

He chuckled from her choice of words, feeling his bald scalp. "You still remember when I had hair, don't you?" Leo remarked.

Ray giggled. "As clear as day. Mom also liked it when you had hair. She said it made you appear younger and more youthful."

"Yes. I know..." he sighed in a forlorn tone. "But age and time has brought on quite a change..."

Ray sensed his inner despondency, dropping her smile a tad. Something was on his mind. "Is something wrong, father?"

Leo took a good look at her. Now that he was examining her more closely, he realized that Ray still looked the same as she did fifteen years ago. Her hair still retained its shiny, natural sheen in its dual shades of maroon and purple, with the bangs framing her features perfectly. Her face was still full, ruddy and young; not a single mark blemished her complexion. Even though she was older chronologically, her youth was still remarkable, being beautiful both inside and out.

Her glory matched her equally kind and loving heart that sought to help others in need, often at the expense of her own safety. Ray was an angel that was too kind and selfless for the cruel world and its inhabitants back then, who had perished in that battle against that terrible demon...but things were different now. Times were changing every day, cities were being rebuilt, and relationships were slowly being restored. He lost her once to that horrible monster, Zarc, but Leo was determined to keep her safe this time. No demon would touch her or his family.

And if he be convicted, Leo would rather be jailed and die than lose Ray again. He could survive that future hearing if she was at least there...but he knew that she would learn of the truth sooner or later about his actions, about what he had done to bring her back.

Would she overlook his actions and see his good intentions? Leo didn't know. And he feared the worst outcome: that she would leave him on his own, hating him for the rest of her life.

In hindsight, perhaps all of his actions were more selfish than he originally perceived them to be.

"Father?" She waved her hand before his face, her brow knitted in concern. "You there?"

Leo blinked twice. A warm smile crept onto his features, despite his heavy heart. He could worry about it later.

"No, nothing at all. Let's go _home."_

* * *

Things fared better in the Pendulum Dimension (both physically and psychologically) since that fateful day, but not by much.

Upon their return, the Lancers were praised by the citizens for the part in the war against the Fusion Dimension and Zarc. But when the families, specifically the Sakakis and Shuzo Hiragi, noticed that their kids were still missing, it struck a tragic chord in their hearts. Yusho himself, who was resurrected from his card some time after the events of the final battle, was devastated. He didn't show it much on the outside, but it was evident that the loss of his only son affected him deeply since they just briefly reunited for a moment before the final battle. Yoko did her best to comfort his heart as well as her own, silently keeping resolve that he would return.

They all missed Yuya and Yuzu. Life wasn't the same without the happy entertainer and his warm smile, or without his best friend and her more realistic outlook on life (albeit she often joined in sometimes on Yuya's happiness and entertainment). The boy promised Shuzo earlier in the year that he would bring her back, no matter the cost...which made the loss all the more heartbreaking.

They weren't the only ones dearly missed. Shun was still alone with his best friend and "sister." Yugo was remembered by Sawatari and Edo, who were saddened that he and the others were still missing. Yuri was a different story; most of the members feared his return, but some were more sympathetic of his fate.

Leo himself stayed in Academia to deal with the problems there, saying almost nothing else.

Overall, since the end of the war and the activation of Revival Zero, it was unknown if the girls even existed, let alone survive. And Zarc's suicidal move, however unlikely the possibility, might've finished the boys off for good. With each passing day showing no signs of them, alongside the fear of Zarc's return and the nigh hopelessness of recovering from such a cataclysmic war, the Lancers' hope faded bit by bit.

So when Yuya and his counterparts revealed themselves to them a few days later, they were all overjoyed to have them back. Shuzo still missed his daughter greatly.

Yusho was the first to embrace his son, followed by his wife. After over three years since the man's disappearance to confront Leo, the family was finally reunited as a whole; nothing would separate them again.

Yuya didn't know how many tears he cried out of joy that day. Nor did he care.

The rest of the Lancers, despite their relief, were surprised as they had no idea how the counterparts had managed to escape from inside Zarc, but they pushed aside that question. It wouldn't have been appropriate for everyone back then. There was joy in that brief moment for them, their friends and family.

Everyone was happy to have at least a part of their lives return to normal. But it wasn't long-lasting.

Three of the counterparts, Yuto, Yugo and Yuri, held terrible news to the Lancers. They confirmed what they all feared most: Zarc was alive, and he still had the dragons with them. They confirmed everyone's suspicions, saying that he was hiding somewhere in the Pendulum Dimension, severely weakened and most likely recovering in Miami City. Some of the crowds who overheard them went in a panic, taking much energy from the Lancers to calm them down.

But with Zarc now residing somewhere in the City, the news forebode ill omens for many in the future. And it didn't take long for the news to travel to the other three worlds as well.

Fear gripped all four dimensions when faced with the inevitable, horrible truth, and drastic measures were taken to find and apprehend the demon before he could recover and cause more trouble. But no one had any luck or success in tracking Zarc. Not the police, nor the military or the heroic Lancers. Not even the four counterparts, who were the last eyes that had seen Zarc, were able to hunt him down.

Three months after the last battle soon passed by in a blink of an eye, and still no luck. The demon would appear on a street camera somewhere in the city, but was gone long before any authorities could reach the location.

Yuya alone didn't say much about the matter.

"Has everyone received my message today?" Reiji's tone was sharp and clear in the room, piercing the silence. Everyone snapped up to attention at the long table, facing their eyes to their leader. After the war, he was still respected among them as a good leader of the Lancers and LDS, carrying an air of authority that no one dared to trifle with.

"Dennis is not here." Tsukikage scanned the faces of the people present in the room. Yuya and his counterparts were accounted for (even Yuri), and so were most of the Lancers, including Crow and Jack, residents of the Synchro Dimension that became their first allies in the war against Academia. The Xyz remnants were also there, sitting alongside their former Fusion enemies, now friends.

However, Reira and Serena were not there, as they were still missing in action thanks to Zarc's trap card and the Arc-Area project respectively, or so they thought. Reiji himself was aware of his father's return a few hours prior, who brought back some visitors too. They had dealt with the girls carefully, containing them in the medical units of the LDS corporation building until they had successfully recovered.

Reiji fixed his red-framed glasses as the Lancers continued their report.

"Last time I saw him, he's in the Xyz Dimension," Shun replied to the ninja Lancer. Others presented in the room bowed their heads in respect: the Entermage duelist, who had revived from his suicidal death a few months back, was helping the residents of Heartland City recover. "He won't be here today."

The leader nodded curtly, understanding the former Lancer's intentions. "I see. You can tell him about the topics of this meeting after we depart today, Kurosaki. Relay to him every single detail of the topics if possible."

The available Lancers all replied with an affirmative; well, all except Sawatari who replied with a "Why are we here again?"

Some of the members groaned at the question, while a couple others were still confused. They were all called to LDS by Reiji for a meeting concerning a few special details that he restated cryptically. However, they didn't exactly know why they were there, or what the topics of the meeting were.

Yuya and his counterparts were also there (and with their clothes back on), still suffering from the heavy losses over the past few months. For one thing, the Bracelet girls, their best friends (well, save for Yuri; he never really cared or knew Serena all that well), were still gone. And second, they had lost their ace monsters to Zarc in that alley. None of them were handling the sudden changes all that well, but Yuya was particularly affected.

He lost both of his precious, treasured companions in less than twenty-four hours. He remembered seeing Yuya disappear in that machine, her horrified cry for help still echoing in his ears...

And Odd-Eyes...the sorrow and pain that clouded his once shining gaze, the boy was overwhelmed by emotion at the mere image of it. He missed his ace so much, never once forgetting him. That dragon meant everything to Yuya, his pride, his strength, his optimistic outlook, it was the embodiment of his own soul.

But he was now forever gone. Yuya lost a piece of himself, and that left him in a dark spot since then. His counterparts were no better.

However, unlike them, Yuya didn't blame Zarc for taking the dragons away.

Left in their thoughts, he turned his focus onto the meeting in hand. Reiji gathered them together once more, but they were no less still in the dark. _Why_ did the head Lancer form a meeting with them?

Reiji pushed his glasses up against his nose. He revealed the intentions of the Lancer meeting in a simple, direct manner. "To reiterate, all of you have been called to give a briefing on the aftermath of the war."

"I thought we already did that." Crow was uncertain about the sudden call of it.

"Not since before the war ended," Gongenzaka replied, crossing his arms. "But I have a hunch there is more to this than just a mere briefing."

"So what's the problem?" Yuya piped up. "Why are we here, Reiji?"

The chief Lancer fixed his glasses again, his usual character tic whenever he was about to reveal or discuss something important. "There is a reason that you all have been called to. You all remember the trending issue about Zarc, yes?"

They all nodded; there was no way they could ever forget about the cursed demon, not after all the pain and trouble he put them through. Some of the battle-hardened veterans of the group gritted their teeth at the mere thought of Zarc, wishing nothing more than to find him and give him a piece of their mind. He threatened their homes and families after all, and was held accountable for many deaths in the Fusion Dimension.

"Yeah, what about him?" Yuto asked with suspicion in his gaze.

"We heard that he is still on the loose," Yuri mused, folding his hands, "but they're no signs of any destruction as of yet. Or of his presence."

Reiji nodded. "Zarc's whereabouts are unknown since our last duel against him, and he has escaped the authorities on multiple occasions for the past few months. However, an informant notified us that he is still hiding somewhere in our dimension."

"Wait, what?!" Sawatari dropped his jaw. "He's still here?!"

"Yes, but we don't know his exact location." Everyone was still left a little on edge.

"He could be recovering for all we know," Shun suggested, narrowing his sharp eyes. "It's possible that wherever he's hiding, he's not leaving until he regains his full strength."

"And if he fully recuperated, there's a chance he'll attempt to finish what he started, to destroy everything again for his pleasure." Tsukikage didn't like the sound or thought of that.

"We need to find him before that happens!" Sora added. "Not many of us is able to stand against another worldwide rampage!"

Reiji looked over the group, inspecting each individual through his glasses. Some were already showing worry about the possibility of another attack. "The dimensions were still recovering from the war, particularly the Xyz Dimension after the constant attacks of Academia. Even if substantial progress has been made to reverse the damage caused by my father's actions, it is true that at this very moment, we would not be able to endure violence on a global scale. And that is why we're conducting a more thorough search."

"But we already tried a search!" Sawatari replied, raising his fist. "The police already did that! We searched every nook and cranny of the city and nearby zones of the area! But no one has been able to find him!"

"Yeah. We even checked the other three dimensions and still no luck!" Crow interjected. "But at least we know that he's in this dimension and probably not leaving anytime soon."

Reiji fixed his glasses. "It is safe to assume based on the informant that he never left the Pendulum Dimension in the first place, Crow."

"Well, if he's still stuck here, why hasn't he been found yet?!" Sawatari asked, almost accusingly. "Like I said, we searched everywhere and still no sign or hair of him!"

"He does show up on a camera from time to time, but manages to disappear every time before the police arrive at the scene." Reiji sighed. "We're examining various possibilities, but there are a few ways for him to escape our surveillance through abilities we do not possess."

"You mean like flying?"

"Yes, that is one such possibility. Hence why a more thorough search of not only the ground, but also in the skies, will ensure more favorable results of his whereabouts."

"Well, yeah, it makes some sense." Sora twirled the candy in his mouth, his brow furrowed. "But...what about the dragons he still possesses?"

Zarc's dimensional counterparts, Yuya, Yugo, Yuto, and Yuri all exchanged looks. It had been three months since that battle, since they had last seen him, which was also the same length of time they've been without their aces. They were affected by the loss, having not dueled since then. Their decks just weren't the _same_ without the dragons.

Going over the information in their minds, based on what Reiji has told them about Zarc's status and his different locations around the Pendulum Dimension, they all came to the same conclusion.

 _The dragons are hiding him..._

"That has to be the only explanation." Everyone turned when they heard Yuri speak aloud.

"Only explanation?" Sora repeated. "What do you mean?" He was interested in what the duelist had to say.

The Fusion soldier, his eyes sharp and dark, turned to his subordinate. "He still has our aces, and they are sentient beings. We can hear their voices, but we've never been able to effectively communicate with them. However, we do know they always aligned themselves with Zarc when he commanded them to. Most likely, he and the dragons are planning to return to their old form once they are ready."

Yuya felt uncomfortable by the suggestion, remembering how he had felt in that form. All the agony, rage, and single-minded desire for destruction had overwhelmed him. But there had been something else he had sensed, other than the screaming of his own soul when trapped in that horrific void of pain and hatred.

"The dragons mentally suffered under Zarc when he was destroying everything as the Supreme King Dragon," Yuya pointed out. "Why would they want to return to that form?"

 _Especially after Odd-Eyes felt the joy of smiles,_ he confirmed to himself. _I still don't know why he chose Zarc, but there has to be a solid reason. Why else would he return to his old master, who only caused him pain and suffering?_

Yuri sighed in exasperation, crossing his arms. "I wish I knew the full answer to that. My Starve Venom may crave destruction, but not on the same scale as Zarc's bloodlust. But I can see him turning to his side easily." His face curled into a wry smirk; if anything, he still desired for a vicious duel.

"I don't know why they went with that demon when they did," Yuto replied, a scowl contorting his features. "And it was of their own will too. We called out to them, but they refused to hear us!"

"I miss Clear Wing." Yugo repressed a tear. "Zarc must've been controlling them, there can't be any other option!"

Yuya reflected on his last encounter with Odd-Eyes. There was something he remembered in the dragon's gaze, an inner sadness or longing for his master.

"They can't just want to return to what they were," Yuya concluded, earning the attention of the others. "Yes, they may have gone with Zarc of their own free will, but if they had wanted to form the Supreme King Dragon again, they probably could have done so by now. No," he continued, shaking his head, "they _would_ have done so by now. I don't know what they are looking for, but whatever it is, they can't just be looking to destroy the world again."

"And are you willing to bet the fate of all the dimensions on this hope?" Reiji asked the young Entertainer, raising an eyebrow. The boy should have a reasonable answer for his claims, one outside of his relationship with Odd-Eyes and the other dragons. "You do know there is a strong gravity over those words, and not many individuals would share that view."

"Well...I mean..." Yuya bit his lip. He knew Odd Eyes enough, _his_ ace monster. Even if he was under Zarc's possession in the past, the boy firmly believed that the dragon's true nature was not a desire to annihilate everything. It was something else, but Yuya didn't know what. "I...I've seen it. Odd-Eyes would most likely not wish for that to happen."

"Is that the same with the other dragons?" Yuto asked. "Including Dark Rebellion? Is it something beyond their relationship with Zarc?"

Yuya was silent for a moment. To say that he had not felt extreme rage from all the dragons, including Dark Rebellion and his own Odd-Eyes would have been a lie. But he _had_ felt something different when the dragons joined Zarc in that alley. Not an eagerness to return to what they were, but a deep remorse instead. He heard their pained moans and rumbles with his own ears; they didn't share that same desire anymore.

"The dragons feel pain for what they did," Yuya told the others, grabbing their attention with his words. "I think they want to find some way to atone for what they've done."

Yuri scoffed, his eyes narrowed. "Remorse? If they felt remorse, then why didn't they move on the first time? Why go back to _Zarc?"_ His eyes fixated on Yuya. "You know Odd-Eyes, and I know Starve Venom. He has no pity or guilt, nor does he show any mercy to his opponents. Your dragon may be more optimistic and outgoing than the others, but they all share that same nature deep down inside. They crave some sort of disorder, even if it's not at such a large scale as his."

"No, they don't."

"What was that?" Yuri asked, raising an eyebrow. He was not expecting the boy to answer so bluntly. "You can't deny it, Yuya. You know that desire all too well, since we were all his fragments once. The dragons are, and have always been, evil by nature, and will always seek to destroy."

"No, they _don't!"_ Yuya repeated, more angrily this time. "I know Odd-Eyes! He doesn't want destruction! Not anymore."

Yuri looked ready to give an angry retort, but Reiji abruptly raised his hand, interrupting before a fight between the boys could escalate. "Regardless of what the dragons have decided," he replied in a calm even tone, "we need to focus our efforts on maintaining the peace between the dimensions. I have teams overseeing the rebuilding of the Xyz Dimension, and father is pledging to divert more people from the Fusion Dimension to assist in the efforts to rebuild. I would like all your help to continue this effort."

Yuri and Yuya turned away from each other. The latter wasn't used to getting easily riled up, nor did he like it. But Reiji was right; regardless of the dragons and Zarc, he and the other Lancers had to take action in helping the Xyz and Fusion Dimensions recover.

And arguing over a different matter, one irrelevant to the topic, wouldn't help anyone.

"Alright, Reiji." Yuya straightened up to a better posture in his chair, directing his gaze to their leader. "What do you want us to do?"

"Yeah, how can we help?" Crow turned to Reiji, raising an eyebrow. He was also curious in the reasons why the man called the meeting.

Reiji pushed up his glasses, a smile forming on his face. "The dimensions need to be knit together, not physically, but in terms of the bonds we share with each other. We have achieved a great victory in preserving the existence of the dimensions, but our work is not done. Despair and resentment still exists between the peoples of the dimensions."

He paused, looking to Yuya and his friends. "What would you all do to help heal these wounds of despair and hatred?"

Yuya smiled, understanding what Reiji was getting at. "I would bring them smiles," he replied.

"We can go on a full tour!" Sora added, growing more excited. "Giving each dimension a show of entertainment duels while communicating a message of hope and healing!"

"And also show them my true skills as the legendary Duelist, Super Neo New Sawatari!" The Lancer posed dramatically.

The others were less amused, save for Sora. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

Sawatari waved it off. "I will give them a show they'll never forget." He flashed a cheeky smile.

The Academia student lolled the lollipop in his mouth, his eyes giving a sarcastic look. "Riiiiiiight, Sawatari. Meanwhile, as we are on the topic of repairing the worlds and helping people and stuff like that, what is the progress on the Xyz Dimension?"

He turned to Shun and Yuto, his former enemies. As Reiji had mentioned before, since the end of the war, the Fusion duelist, along with many other fellow Academia classmates, did their best to help repair the lost hometown of the Xyz Dimension. But undoing around four years of damage and near-genocide was never a easy task. Sora personally felt very guilty for all the souls he mercilessly carded, whether innocent or not.

Yuto shrugged. "As far as physical damage, we could always use more help," he explained. "The machines from the Fusion Dimension do wonders, but the majority of us are still working around the clock. Personally, I think it would be great if the people could have that entertainment tour."

"Or maybe a championship," Yugo offered with a wide smile. "One that everyone from all dimensions can participate in, like that of our Friendship Cup."

"Will it work?" Yuto eyed his Synchro counterpart.

"I like the idea," Yugo replied, folding his arms.

"But will it work?" Yuri growled, annoyed that Yugo hadn't answered the question.

The boy turned to him. "Well, how will it not work?!"

"How well did the Friendship Cup work in the Synchro Dimension?" Yuri asked. "Last I checked, it was just another way for the Tops to keep you Commons in your place. Keeping the mob and underlings in their place."

"Yeah, but it doesn't have to be exactly like the Friendship Cup!" Yugo glared at his Fusion counterpart.

"Actually, I see how a worldwide championship could help." Yuya smiled.

Oh, and how is that?" Yuri asked. "The only thing I can see it accomplishing is people hating the Fusion Dimension even more once we crush the competition."

Yuto glared at him. In all honesty, every word the Fusion counterpart spewed out only made his hatred and annoyance grow. "You don't know that."

"What? I'm only being honest," Yuri replied matter-of-factly.

"How about we divide it to have a victor for each dimension?" Yugo suggested. "That way, there won't be any competition between the worlds over who is the best, and everyone still gets to participate."

"I think that insults them even more." Yuri yawned, covering his mouth. "Here, Xyz Dimension, we know you couldn't have won on your own, so here's a token trophy for participating!" He made wild hand gestures to emphasize his sarcasm.

"And what makes you think we'd lose?" Shun asked through gritted teeth, cracking his knuckles. He was ready to punch Yuri in his smug troll face.

"See what I mean?" Yuri pointed out. "We're already ready to start another war."

"Yuya's entertainment dueling brought peace to the Synchro Dimension," Reiji interrupted before things could escalate _again_. "He showed the world that people could put aside their differences and work together towards a common goal. We will show the same thing in this tournament. There will be a dimension-wide tournament, but the contestants will not consist of individuals...but of teams."

Yuto raised an eyebrow. "And how will teams be any different from—?"

"Teams with members from all four dimensions competing together," Reiji continued, answering Yuri's question before he could finish.

That caught everyone's attention. Teams consisting of members from all four worlds competing against each other? All for a common goal that would bring unity and peace? It sounded better than their other options, although there were a couple flaws that could easily be fixed. However, such an idea of unifying the worlds from war through such a well-intended, meaningful way that encompasses their talents, teamwork and dueling was indeed noble. Perhaps it could work in helping the dimensions recover faster.

Yuya liked the idea, albeit he was a little subtle about it. "Perfect! Maybe the competition can be the Miami Championship that was cancelled, but it would be renamed to..."

"The Standard World Championship," Yuto finished for him, musing over the idea.

"That's...actually a pretty good name," Crow replied after also pondering it over. "It's universal enough for everyone to participate."

"I agree!" Yugo interjected, pumping his gloved fist. He was fired up for the tournament idea after being unable to win the Friendship Cup in the Synchro Dimension. "We should do this!"

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Yuri gruffed, crossing his arms. He was the only counterpart who was against the idea, but no one really needed to question why.

"That's because you're too disagreeable and full of yourself to listen to anyone," Yugo shot back with an accusatory glare, hoping to agitate the Fusion soldier. Yuri, however, shrugged it off with a dark smirk; he wasn't an easy one to agitate.

"Try me, Fusion." But his rival was.

"IT'S YUGO!"

"In the meantime," Yuya interrupted the tiff before it happened, moving his head to face Reiji. "You're the leader, so you can make the final decision. However, if we do this correctly, this would probably help the citizens smile again after the war. We can lift their spirits again. How does a dimension-wide tournament sound?"

The head Lancer pushed up his glasses to the bridge of his nose. "We have the resources and allies to set one up, and I believe that this would indeed help those affected by my father's actions, specifically the inhabitants of the Xyz Dimension, find such a calming peace again." He locked eyes with everyone, his tone sharp and his intentions clear. "But before this meeting is adjourned, there is one more topic that should be discussed."

"What is it now?" Yuri was getting tired of the long meeting that seemed to drag on and on, narrowly missing a whack from Yugo.

Reiji stared long and hard at the Fusion duelist. "I would like to introduce a new visitor. She asked me personally for this."

"She?!" Yugo's eyes lit up, small stars dancing in the pupils. His mind went to the one girl that meant almost everything in his life. "Could it be...RIN?!"

"Why was that your first thought?" Yuri stared hard at the boy, raising an eyebrow. He had an idea of their relationship, but budding romance was a subject he had no experience with, and thus no interest. "Is that all you think about actually?"

Yugo's eye twitched, even though he couldn't tell if the soldier was teasing me or not. "Can it, cabbage boy."

But the short implication about the visitor in Reiji's message still left everyone on edge. Outside of the Bracelet Girls, there was hardly anyone else they knew who was female and close-knit with them. Three of the boys' hearts dropped like a weight upon reminiscing the memories of their best friends (or girlfriend, in Yuto's case). They had very endearing relationships with them, with Ray's counterparts, and their hearts were still aching to reunite with them.

Thus, their curiosity was also peaked, filled with a small glimmer of anticipation. "Really, who is the visitor?" the Xyz duelist asked, his grey eyes gleaming with a sliver of hope. Perhaps the visitor was one of the girls.

"I offered her the opportunity to reveal herself to the meeting if she wanted to, and her response was affirmed," Reiji gave a gesture to Tsukikage, indicating to him to act on his behalf. "She is right behind the door."

The ninja nodded, rising from his seat to obey the leader's implied commands. Everyone watched and waited silently, with bated breath, as he reached the double doors and opened them to greet their new visitor. With Tsukikage stepping to the side politely, some of the Lancers had a good view of the visitor as she walked over the metal threshold.

Yuya gasped softly, his crimson eyes widened in shock. Their visitor looked just like Yuzu, but...also different, older and taller. Her pigtails were also longer, reaching down to her back and arms, and her outfit was different. But everything else about her screamed Yuzu, or perhaps a very striking similarity to her. Yuto was also surprised, mulling over the possibilities of her being Ruri, but they came up too short.

Yugo, however, didn't share their intuitive minds. His smile widened, heart bursting with joy as he flailed his arms wide.

 _"RIN!_ YOU'RE BACK!"

"STAY IN YOUR SEAT!" Yuri forced him down before his foolish-minded Synchro counterpart could literally fly out of his chair and tackle "Rin" in a tight, loving hug. "THAT'S NOT HER, BAKA!"

While the Synchro counterpart argued with his rival from being pushed back, Yuto shook his head at their ridiculous antics. However, he couldn't blame Yugo for getting so easily confused; he was not exactly very observant (if his previous battles with the boy meant anything), and was very impulsive in his decision-making. However, the woman appeared exactly like his Ruri, or to Yugo, Rin. Perhaps she was one of the other counterparts?

But Yuya figured out the truth, saying nothing at first. He contemplated it over on what her return meant or implied, so to speak. _That means Leo was successful in going through with his plan._

Fixing his glasses, Reiji introduced her when she reached his side. "This is my older sister, Ray Akaba."

Almost everyone was surprised by the news. "WHAT?!"

"YOU HAVE AN OLDER SISTER?!"

"THAT'S RAY?!" Sawatari nearly fainted, relaxing into his chair. The woman giggled and smiled cheerfully, waving at the group; despite the poor memory and unfamiliarity with her new surroundings, she already liked all the Lancers and their various personalities.

"Hey, nice to meet everyone," she greeted in a sweet voice. "I've only been here for a few hours, so I don't know all your names except for my brother's."

They all immediately introduced themselves. "I'm Neo New Sawatari," the first Lancer replied, smirking boldly.

"He's Shingo, I'm Sora."

"Shun."

"I'm Yuya Sakaki! It's nice to meet you, Ray!"

"Name's Yuto."

"I'm Yuri, and this is my rival, Fusion."

"THE NAME IS YUGO, NOT FUSION!"

"Can it, you two. That joke's getting old and it's giving me a freaking headache!"

"TELL THAT TO CABBAGE FACE OVER HERE!"

Before the Lancers could continue their introductions (and start another argument between Yugo and Yuri), Reiji raised his hand again to calm the rising voices. "It is true that Ray has indeed been revived. My father, Leo, returned from Academia a few hours before this meeting and explained the whole situation to me about her. They had also brought back with them Reira and all four of Ray's counterparts."

Three of the four boys immediately jerked their heads up; the girls were with them? Yuzu, Ruri, Rin, Serena, they were all safe?

Yuya especially felt tears returning to his eyes, filled with joy instead of despair. Life just wasn't the same without her by his side, standing with him, cheering him on in his duels.

Yuzu was back. She had to be.

Yuya decided right then and there to confront Reiji about her later; he missed her for far too long. "You mean Yuzu and the others, right? Where are they now? Are they here in LDS? Alive? Okay?"

Reiji picked up on their subtle yet exuberant hope, flashing a miniscule smile; it had been a while since he last seen the boys in such high spirits. Ray, meanwhile, brushed one of her bangs aside, turning to see Zarc's reincarnations now that she had a moment to collect her thoughts. She barely remembered what happened in the past, only bits and pieces here and there about her father and Zarc.

She remembered him as her enemy for some reason, and what was even stranger were the four boys before her. They certainly shared his face, with striking features all too familiar to her. But they showed more innocence in their eyes and didn't seem dangerous, well, save for Yuri's predatory stare.

Ray inwardly shuddered at the sight of those eyes, being too reminiscent to Zarc's insane gaze dwelling in her head. The intent was unmistakable, and she hated it. _But...what happened between us? Why do I remember him?_

"You four must be his counterparts." Her eyes narrowed slightly of their own will.

Yuya nodded solemnly, his smile fading away. "We are. I'm his Standard Counterpart, while Yuto is his Xyz's, Yugo his Synchro's, and Yuri his Fusion avatar. It's been like that for fifteen years."

She nodded understandingly. "Again, it's a pleasure to meet you four."

"Same goes for you," Yuto replied, nodding his head in respect.

"I am not one for giving fond greetings," Yuri replied curtly. Even though Zarc's influence was no longer over his head, the Fusion soldier didn't like her presence out of pure disdain. There was something about her that rubbed him off the wrong way, whether it be an aura or an air about her that _screamed_ danger...

Ray sighed. "For some reason, you remind me of him the most. But enough of that." She turned to the rest of the group. "Sorry for the rush, but there isn't much time left for me to stay. I trust Reiji to have given you what you all needed to know, both about Zarc and about the...dimensions." She still wasn't completely familiar with the existing reality. "But our top priority is the former, and I'll help you this time around."

"I don't know the full history between you and Zarc—" Kurosaki straightened up, staring her directly in the eye—"but we won't let him get away a third time."

"Plus, if I didn't know any better, you are the one he fears the most," Yuri chimed, his smirk widening. "Having you, the only person who was able to defeat him by using the Nature Cards. would certainly rattle him. Perhaps, he might slip up."

She raised an eyebrow. Zarc was afraid of her? And how exactly did she defeat them in the past? _What happened between us, and why do I feel this need to stop him?_

"Yuri, stop being creepy." Yugo scrunched up his face.

His opponent ignored him again. "You know what I mean." The boy folded his hands with that.

"It is true that as long as Zarc is running in the city, he is a danger to all the worlds," Reiji mused to them. "It is imperative that we find and stop him before he gets an opportunity to wreak havoc."

They all agreed with the leader on that. It was settled for all of the Lancers and the Akabas: no matter where he was, they would make sure Zarc wouldn't have the chance to cause any more trouble, that the dimensions would finally unite in peace and tranquility, and that the inter-dimensional war would become a thing of the past.

"Then we all agree." Reiji fixed his glasses, ending in his usual serious tone, "Everyone knows their assignments, and make sure our other allies in the Xyz, Synchro, and Fusion Dimensions know about this."

Everyone nodded in unison. "We will, Reiji," Crow replied.

The head Lancer rose from his seat, his glasses gleaming. "Then with that, I declare this meeting adjourned. You are all dismissed."

As everyone departed from the room one by one, the man turned his solemn gaze to the glass panels of the room, which revealed the splendor and beauty of Miami City outside. Night was approaching quickly, as shown from the fading sunset and the twilight hour over the skyscrapers around LDS. It was a vast world, and finding Zarc would prove to be very challenging. But not impossible.

She would figure out what happened between them, why her heart was telling her to hunt him down, all the answers of the past. With the few memories she had, Ray knew she would need to find out more from her father and brother, but something egged in her mind that it wouldn't be pleasant...

Why else would she be resurrected? To reunite with her family, yes. But there was another reason, her destiny, one she had no knowledge of just yet. Her story didn't end, but rather this new chapter had just begun.

With purple eyes narrowed in determination, and a heart burning with resolve, she looked down over Miami City as a guardian. _I_ _will find you and get answers about everything, Zarc._

* * *

 **And done! Whew, so no Zarc in this chapter. Sorry. Mostly just a chapter of exposition to set up the plot of the first arc. ;D**

 **So here is the question: how are the Bracelet Girls back? :)**

 **Time to answer reviews!**

 _ **To Chaos-Pulsar: He did, literally. XD And yeah, the duels are not going to be the main thing here. This is more plot and character focused.**_

 _ **To Yuka Kuroshiro: Haha, I love how the chapter forced people to take sides. I personally cannot say more, because...well, spoilers.**_

 _ **To Ulrich362: It's sorta ironic because we don't know Zarc's backstory in the anime, and they don't know his backstory in this fanfic. So I'm doing everything I can to pull at you guys' heartstrings. XDDD**_

 _ **To ScalchopWarrior: How about you try writing this without crying? :)**_

 _ **To Oblivian03: Haha, twists are my forte. ZARC WILL GO THROUGH ENDLESS PAIN.**_

 _ **To ThePLOThand: Yeah, I'm going with the route that he was under Zarc's influence for most of the sadism, but that he has enough evil of his own, albeit minor, to want a good duel and leave his opponents vanquished. So of the four boys, he is still the least moral, but not as much as before.**_

 _ **To KuriMaster13: Haha, same. And good luck!**_

 _ **To 4fireking: This is a Zarc-centric story. Almost everything here will involve him in some way.**_

 _ **To fanfic meister: I'm editing all of these chapters over time, so don't worry, I will add your ideas. However, there are some things I wish to postpone till later because of the plot. This story is going a certain way.**_

 _ **To Epsilon Tarantula: Yeah, it is a pretty big alley. XD And yeah, I'm trying to make the parties here all pitiable one way or another: the Yu-boys for losing their dragons, Zarc for losing the duel as well as his strength and only wishing to keep his friends, and the dragons for being divided on choosing between him and their new masters. So it's a cost for at least one party in this scenario depending on the choices they make. That, my friend, is CONFLICT.**_

 _ **To And then the sky: Haha, it sorta is funny. Mostly the Yu-boys being in their undergarments.**_

 _ **To Leafeon12: Poor everyone.**_

 _ **To Ghostkid33: Yep, basically what I said to Epsilon Tarantula. It is sheer conflict. Also, I'm probably gonna edit the villain's mannerisms to make him more tranquil furious.**_

 _ **To Guest: He is still in his demon form. That is actually going to be another conflict in the story in the upcoming chapters, mainly his desire to regain his humanity.**_

 _ **To Donjusticia: Yep. I couldn't just kill off the Yu-boys without reason. Otherwise, there would be no conflict. XD**_

 _ **To XYZArtemis: Thank you!**_

 _ **To Aira Aura: That is the point of the chapter: to make you guys sympathize with the characters. Glad to know it's working.**_

 _ **To Gungala: I CANNOT AFFIRM NOR DENY WHAT YOU SAY, BECAUSE I'M A TROLL.**_

 **And that's all! Thanks for reading this chapter, and I hoped it was enjoyable! Follow, favorite, comment, whatever you like to do, and I'll see ya next time! CTA out!**


	6. The Pendulum Swings Both Ways

**So this is something I added last minute. Originally, I was gonna cut straight to what will be in the next chapter, but some of what you guys said made me think:**

 _ **Leo indeed is not the hero here. He should have a greater punishment.**_

 _ **How is Ray suffering from amnesia?**_

 _ **Will the Bracelet Girls be treated better? Why are they unconscious?**_

 _ **Should Yuri still be a villain?**_

 **Now, with all of that, I will say this: the last chapter didn't focus on everything. It did have some parts left out, but I was not trying to cram everything in. That is not how a story works. It builds over time. What starts small grows into larger catastrophes. A small hole or crack in a wall would eventually grow over time and break the dam.**

 **And that is what I'm also doing. I'm redoing Arc-V's ending and continuing from the storyline they set down previously in a way that I imagined it to be. So with all the little ins and outs here and there, I will clarify that everything will work out over time.**

 **For now, this is the first arc. We're now six chapters in; questions won't immediately be answered. There will be cliffhangers and whatnot. So with that, I want you guys to keep asking questions because it gives me more ideas of how to plan this all out. :D**

 **I ALSO have edited the past chapters some more! I made some changes that you should check out if you haven't already, because they include plot points and whatnot that weren't added in the original version. You might be** **confused if you read this chapter without reading the updated chapters, so hey. And I'm continuing to update them, so always feel free to read the story again and again; you might see something you didn't notice before. ;)**

 **So with all of that, enjoy this chapter.** **And big kudos to _Donjusticia_ and _Ghostkid33_ for the help! He's basically my co-writer at this point, AND CHECK OUT HIS STORIES!**

* * *

 _Peace._ For a while it was rare, almost impossible, to find that in the four worlds. It was made all the more ironic as everyone managed to end the long war, and yet so many spirits were without any rest.

But for now...they could have that bittersweet moment of peace. If just for this night of rest.

It was late in the twilight hour, the sun having passed over the horizon a few hours prior and leaving the softer blue sky now a dark purplish-black. Stars twinkled in the heavens, with the silvery bands of the Milky Way glowing beyond them. All sorts of nocturnal creatures and creepy-crawlies scuttled about in the dark, finding their next meal or prey to devour.

The tranquil atmosphere of the early night also extended to mankind, which was rather ironic after the terrors they endured for the past few months. Most of Miami City had resigned for the night, save for a few businesses here and there. The Leo Corporation building still shone as a sparkling diamond among the grays and blacks of the lower districts, and some of its occupants were either finishing up on their work or pulling all-nighters.

Among them was Leo, who was locked up in his own office and packing his things. He had his own demons to deal with, his heart filled with sorrow and regret over everything. He ignored the dull aches and pains when Ray was with him, but now that he was alone with only his thoughts to keep his company, the emotions all came crashing down like a tidal wave.

"Father...?" Ray hesitantly knocked on the wooden door. "Are you in there?"

She waited outside in the silent hallway, folding her arms behind her back. Since their earlier return with the girls and Reira, Ray's head was swarmed with all sorts of questions. So much had happened since her absence. What happened to the dimensions in the past fifteen years? How was her family doing in that time?

But she worried the most for her father. He wasn't acting like his usual self anymore, Ray could tell. Aside from the drastic change in appearance, which raised a few eyebrows on its own, his personality was also more hardened, bitter even. He had become, in lack of a better term, a stereotypical grumpy old man.

Something was wrong, and Ray wanted to know why...and whether it was because of her. Being a strong-willed individual at heart, the woman decided to confront him about everything, even if she must force it out of him. Get some answers. Learn what happened to him, her brother, to everyone in the past fifteen years.

Leo, meanwhile, was facing his fears and failing: Ray had no idea what he did, the actions he took, to bring her back. He was overwhelmed with a sick, strong guilt that dwelled in his stomach all day long, and he almost vomited a few times as a result. The man couldn't even face her again after remembering the crimes, the evils that were committed, to achieve his goal.

How many lives were lost for the sake of one? For _her?_ He loved her enough to take such a sacrifice, but the costs that came with that were now unbearable. He couldn't ignore it anymore.

The greater the choice, the greater the consequences that followed. And he was paying a hefty price.

For a moment, Leo wondered if he shouldn't answer Ray's question. But what good would that do? She would just enter and see him in his office. But what questions would she have? And how was he supposed to answer them?

"Yes, I'm here," Leo replied, trying to keep his voice even so as to not cause more suspicion. "I'm afraid I'm a little busy right now. Can it wait?"

He grimaced at his own question. It made him sound indifferent to his daughter, when nothing could be further from the truth. She would get the wrong idea. Worse still, Leo knew full well how Ray would answer regardless.

The woman caught the slight hitch of tone in his voice alongside the weariness, making her sigh from outside. It was just like her father to get all caught up in work. "You've been in there all day. and it's very late in the night. You need to take a break, Dad."

"It's not that late, daughter."

"It's almost midnight..." Another huff from behind the door. "You know what, I'm coming in."

Before her dad could object, she let herself into the room without another word. Leo was indeed looking very weary, if not a little ill. His eyes had rings underneath them, he had thinned and wrinkled slightly, and, much to Ray's discomfort, the skin around his metallic skull-plate, which apparently was supposed to hold his skull together, was looking red and irritated.

"I'm okay, Ray," said Leo, attempting a smile. "There's no need to worry about me. Go back to bed."

Ray ignored him, deciding to make herself useful by picking up and organizing some files that were scattered on the floor. His office was a complete _mess._

"There's no need-!" Leo objected, but Ray had already deposited them in his inbox, where they belonged. As she turned to clean up more of his office, she couldn't help but notice the words "Arc-Area Project" listed on some of the papers.

Another question for another time. For now, she had more important matters to discuss.

"Dad, I've been worried about you," Ray sighed, picking up another stack of papers. "We've hardly talked since...since I came back. Worse, you don't seem well. You've been shutting yourself up in your office all day and isolating yourself from the rest of us. Mom says that you've had a lot of things on your mind, and Reiji told me that this has been going on for a while."

Leo honestly didn't notice much about his own hours in the office room. Time flew by tediously for him, and he had more than his share of migraines (some of which were from the mental strain on his brain). There was some truth in what their family had explained to her: he did have a lot on his mind. Her return was one of those things, one that left him with much relief, but also with a small tinge of worry and fear.

But among the most heartbreaking was the news of his own hearing in the court within the next couple weeks. Leo just had his own daughter back, had his family reunited as a whole (more or less), but because of his own selfish ambitions and close-minded goal, he might lose it all.

Leo didn't know if she could handle it. Reiji and his wife hadn't revealed the truth to her of his actions at their own discretion, but the man knew he had to. It was his responsibility as Ray's father and close friend.

"There has been some things I had to deal with recently," the man explained in simple terms while avoiding all of the problems, "but I will be alright."

"What happened?" Ray asked.

Leo sighed. She had to know eventually, or else would find out the truth herself. "Ray, how much do you remember about what happened before you woke up?" he asked.

The young woman blinked. "What I remember?"

"Yes."

She tapped her chin. "Well...not much, outside of the Original Dimension and...Zarc..."

Leo grimaced. "You know that the Original Dimension is gone. Even if none of us told you, you would have known that, just by living here. Do you remember why it is gone?"

Ray scrunched her brow. "It's because of the En Cards..."

 _The En Cards! Do I still have them with me?_

"You remember those then, and no, I don't think you have the En Cards with you anymore. Do you remember using the En Cards?" Alright, so this was a start. She knew a few things, and maybe he could figure out where to lead the conversation in a way that would satisfy her curiosity while leaving the heavier matters a mystery.

"Yes, I remember using them," she replied. "I used them on Zarc, and then everything went white..."

Leo leaned forward, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Why don't you tell me everything you remember, up to this point? Don't hesitate to interrupt your own story if anything new comes up."

Ray blinked again. There was obviously something important about her memories. "I don't remember much...only bits and pieces here and there."

"Tell me those pieces," Leo insisted. "If my hypothesis is correct, you might begin remembering more as you begin thinking of past events."

Ray sighed at this. This was her dad. Always the scientist, even when it didn't feel appropriate. "Well, I first remember this...voice...of a young child," she started, looking down at the floor to help concentrate better. "I don't remember what he—she was saying. And...there were other voices too, but they were more feminine and older."

"Your counterparts," Leo muttered to himself. They still played a key part in all of it. "What else do you remember?"

"I..." Ray tried to focus on her memories. "I...remember...seeing something."

"What did you see?" Leo asked.

Ray took a few deep breaths to ease her mental strain. "I remember seeing a bright light. It was green..."

"And?" Leo prodded again, his eyes now hopeful. She must've been referring to the Arc-Area machine, the very project he used to resurrect her.

She tried to remember more, but couldn't get the rest of the pieces together in her mind. Something was blocking it, but what? "I don't know. It's all muddled together up to my return." Sighing to herself, the woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, but...I just can't remember."

"Don't worry if you can't picture it clearly." Leo nodded in understanding, a small smile gracing his weary features. "But first, you remember our old home, right?"

The woman smiled fondly for a second. "It's a little hard, but yes. The United Dimension..."

"I remember seeing such a brilliance too, Ray, but it foreboded a terrible presence." The man shuddered, his posture defeated and resigned. It was a memory he wished he could forget or remove from his head, but it was nearly impossible. "There was chaos everywhere, and all that filled the air were the screams of both children and adults..." he paused, looking pained. "Our dimension was dying, Ray. And though I tried to stop its demise, our entire world...my family..." Tears began streaming down his eyes, before he clenched his fists.

Ray found herself crying too, understanding coming to her, despite her memories still being foggy. "Yes. I may not know all of the details, but they still ring in my ears too. Our old world, a place that was so beautiful and advanced...now completely destroyed by _him_..." Her shoulders shook slightly as the faint recollections of the Original Dimension returned to her. "But what happened after that, father? It doesn't explain why you secluded yourself from us."

"That is what you must remember, Ray," Leo continued, sounding choked, "No matter what you hear in the coming weeks, no matter what you learn of me...I did everything... _everything_...to save the lives of the people I loved. I may very well be damned for what I did, but I do not deny the purity of my mission."

Ray was surprised to hear about this, feeling tears run down her cheeks. "D-Dad, what are you saying? I...don't understand."

Leo gripped one of her shoulders. He took in a deep breath, feeling his heart about to break. She was going to knew the truth sooner or later, but it didn't make what he was about to reveal any less painful or sorrowful.

"I tried to bring it all back," he panted. "You, and everyone from the Original Dimension. I needed a staggering amount of energy to do it. A great sacrifice had to be made to achieve the goal...and I..." Leo was actually gasping for breath, remembering the immense destruction and death he had wrought, "I failed, Ray. I destroyed this universe and myself...and I failed in the end."

He collapsed onto his desk, body shaking as he buried his head into his papers before weeping like a child. Ray was not used to seeing this side of her father. He was very ashamed about his actions, and she was suddenly hesitant to ask why.

So instead, she took a few deep breaths and resolved to ask him, "Dad? What do you mean you failed? What did you do?"

Leo slowly raised his face from his desk, eyes sealed shut as tears continued to leak from them. "System administrator..." he commanded in a hoarse voice, "...initiate Arc-Area Protocol. Convert Main Office to War Room."

 _"Voice recognized,"_ a female computer voice replied. _"Converting Main Office to War Room."_

Immediately, Leo's entire office began shifting and transforming as desks and chairs folded into themselves before advanced computer equipment, charts, and holo-screens unfolded from niches in the walls. Stunned, Ray's eyes began rapidly darting about, taking in maps of the four dimensions, computer screens displaying information such as "Progress on Arc-Area Project", "Mental Data Archives", "Spirit Tech Force Field Tests Results" and many more. She did not fail to notice her name on several screens next to data on a project entitled "Revival Zero."

"What is this?" Ray breathed, shaking as she noticed even more screens displaying "Inter-Dimensional Unification Casualties and Collateral."

"This was where I planned everything before I made my base in the Fusion Dimension," Leo whispered, eyes still closed in pain, as if he couldn't bear even looking at it. "After the war ended...I transferred everything here. All the answers you want...they're in this room. Just please..." he choked, "...Ray...never forget that I love you...and our family."

There was so much information to take in at once, but she was much more concerned for her father who was breaking down right before her. "Please tell me. What happened, Dad?" Her shaky tone was less accusatory and more emotional. "What did you do?"

"I...just...just look, daughter." He couldn't bear to see her face anymore, too ashamed of himself.

Ray approached one of the screens, her brow furrowed.

"Lift all restrictions," Leo commanded the computer that controlled his room. "Full access. Replay mental record...United Dimension...3125 A.D."

 _"Command confirmed,"_ the computer voice replied, before bringing up a screen, a scene all too familiar to the man. Ray watched the events of the screen unfold in silence, unsure of what was about to happen next. Then her eyes widened in recognition.

"That...that boy...it's him!" More events began playing before her eyes, but Ray slowly focused on the duelist in front of her as he used his power to merge with his dragon companions.

 _We will become one! Nothing will stand in our way, even if the whole world will be destroyed!_

 _"Zarc..."_ she breathed to herself. If there was anything she did remember, it was _him._

All power of speech was taken from her as she continued watching. Eventually, she was watching herself through the eyes of her father, as she used the power of the En Cards to finally stop Zarc...but at a terrible cost. At a command, Leo brought up more screens, and now, Ray was watching fragmented clips of Leo studying the dimensions with complex machinery, speaking to political, religious, and military leaders of the Fusion Dimension, organizing an army, commanding the army. He was going to war. He did not personally set foot in any of the dimensions he ordered to be attacked, but he was always there, monitoring progress, issuing commands, devising strategies, and always, always, above all else, working on the project to revive her, and rebuild their old home.

"Father...what have you done!?" Ray cried out in disbelief, tears pouring from her eyes.

The man she loved, the man she had sacrificed herself to protect, was becoming twisted before her eyes. He was transforming into a monster, bent on destroying anyone and anything that stood in his way, all for the sake of destroying Zarc and protecting her. She watched him grow hard and callous, speaking of the casualties and suffering he inflicted on the other dimensions as if it was mere data for another of his experiments. No! This couldn't be her father! This was some kind of twisted _parody_ of her father, a villain in the guise of her father!

She spun on her heels to stare at the man sitting at his desk. Even clad in his usual work uniform instead of the dictatorial military uniform of his Fusion regime, even tear-stained and exhausted from guilt and sorrow, she could see, her father, Leo Akaba, and the monster on the computer screen, The Professor, were one and the same.

He had hurt so many people and started a _war,_ murdering thousands of people all for her sake. In the eyes of the law, her once sweet father, her close friend, was now branded a criminal. _Rightly_ accused.

"D-Dad...you did all of this?" She was shell-shocked, unsure of whether to reprimand and scold him for all the atrocious acts he, her father, did...or to try and forget it all. Leo wasn't capable of all of this, not for the sole purpose of bringing her back. "It can't be true. Please tell me it...it isn't true!"

But the evidence showed otherwise. Ray couldn't deny or ignore the truth before her. She had to face it, accept it, believe it.

 _Father...this..._

She clenched her fists, wiping her tears away. Ray was, for the first time in her life, ashamed and angry with her father. "This was wrong. All of it."

Leo leaned back on his chair, looking twenty years older than he already was. "My fate will be decided soon enough," he whispered. "I will be held in court before a jury consisting of representatives from all four dimensions. I will not try to defend myself. I have specifically requested that I have no defense attorney, no legal help of any kind. Reiji and Himika disagree, they think I should at least have my side of the story told..." He sniffed in amusement, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter either way. I knew what I was doing was wrong...even as I tried to justify my actions. I told myself that this universe was all an illusion, as insubstantial as its original holograms. But I was wrong. I killed and destroyed, and I saved nobody because of it. I deserve the Hell that awaits me. More than that, even."

Ray was standing motionless, seething with the equally strong emotions of rage, contempt, horror, and sympathy. This was not her _father_ , not the one she knew her whole life. Even if he was incredibly regretful for his actions, it couldn't undo all of the damage.

Leo breathed in. "My flaw was that I was too proud. I had created the catastrophe that destroyed our world. I thought it was my responsibility, and mine alone, to fix it. I could not accept the fact that there were some things that were beyond even my ability to fix, and like Icarus who reached for the Heavens...I now find myself being plunged into the depths of Hell."

"Why did you hide this from me?" Ray finally croaked, straining herself to not smash her fists into her father's face, or collapse onto the ground into a fetal position like a crying infant. "Why couldn't you understand what...what I did for everyone when I sacrificed myself!? Why couldn't you respect my decision?!"

Leo looked away from Ray, out towards a window open to the city beyond. "In all my life...through everything I have done," he gasped, "all I ever truly wanted...was the love of my family. I wanted to hold you close as I did when you were born. I wanted it to last forever. I could not accept that you were truly gone for me."

He looked down on the ground, letting more tears fall.

"That is my final failure," he whispered to himself, "I wanted to bring you back, and now, at last, just when you have returned to me...I cannot bring myself to be with someone as pure and truly selfless as you."

He got up from his chair and began walking away from her, moving out of the office altogether. His daughter was alarmed.

"Father!" Ray called, running out and clutching his shoulder.

"You should not associate with me anymore, Ray," Leo stonily replied, shrugging off her hand and walking through a door leading to an elevator shaft. "Please," he pleaded, turning to look at her one last time. "Please...if I can possibly make one last request...please live your life so that you can be happy. Forget about me, and be with your mother and siblings. Support them however you can, but just know that...I love you with my whole heart."

Ray opened her mouth to protest, to detain her father for one final argument, but Leo had already shut the door before descending to some lower level of the company, where everyone else was restricted from entering. She let all her tears, her anguish, her anger, her sorrow, all her emotions out. It was hard for Ray to control herself anymore; her father was leaving as a criminal paying for his actions.

His actions were completely wrong, but he still held out for their family. He wanted that relationship with her again, even at the cost of his own life, the lives of others, the fate of the whole world, and even her own choice to save him.

Leo undid her own fate so as to bring her back. But the cost was too great, and she was far from happy about it. The next time she would see her father would most likely be in court, or worse, prison. Behind _bars._

Her freedom cost him his.

"How can I be happy with knowing all of this?" Her voice was very light, shaky. "How can I move on knowing that you did all of this? That our family is going to be torn apart?" Sobbing freely, Ray bowed her head, no longer caring if she was speaking to herself. "You shouldn't have brought me back if it led to this..."

* * *

In the same hour, with the half-crescent moon rising slowly into the sky, another family dwelling in the quieter, more serene part of the city was getting ready for a good night's rest. The atmosphere in their home was more relaxed and happier, but it wasn't without a little tension.

Yuya himself, the Entertainer duelist, was struggling with the turmoil in his heart.

His father and mother were together now. Mother and Father had spent some time alone together, presumably to work some things out between them, before the two of them had seemed to fully reconcile with one another. Yuya, on the other hand, hadn't been given the same kind of time.

 _This is stupid,_ he thought. _I_ _don't need to forgive my dad for anything. I know why he had to leave. It was because of him that I was able to convince Edo to reform. Why should I resent him for saving lives?_

The boy shook his head to get rid of the troubling thoughts. "I now have him back. That was what I wished for the past three years, what we wished for. Our lives are almost back to normal, and everything is slowly changing to the better." Yuya sighed and sat down before his desk in his room. "Except...not everything is back to normal. It's not the same as before."

 _If anything, it's still...off._

And yet, as Yuya thought about it, he couldn't quite put his finger on exactly WHAT was off. His dad had been kind and very respectful to him, even telling him that he was proud of everything Yuya had accomplished in the war. Their family was together again, and yet, whenever they were together, Yuya felt as if there was some barrier remaining between himself and his father? Was it just him? Was it just that his experiences in the war had changed him? Or was he still feeling sorrow over the loss of Odd-Eyes.

 _Odd-Eyes..._

His companion that had been with him since his father left. The dragon had been an irreplaceable source of comfort and joy to him as he learned to duel, slowly becoming the man who would grow to face what seemed like an unstoppable empire. He had always trusted in his dragon, and his dragon had always trusted in him.

Yuya's eyes widened in sudden realization.

"Why didn't you tell me anything back when you left?" Yuya asked aloud. "Did you just not want to burden me with the truth...or were you afraid I wasn't ready?"

He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to think of some answer that made sense. Odd-Eyes never held any secrets against him, at least none that he knew of. The dragon was always there for him, up until that moment in the alley.

Up until he left with Zarc. Yuya was left to question their relationship compared to his own; did Odd-Eyes have a stronger bond with his former owner?

He slammed his fist into the wall of his bedroom out of frustration. First, Dad and now Odd-Eyes. Both of them had left him, and neither of them had bothered to explain to him their reasons why. The boy might have his father back now, but it was in replacement for his ace.

 _Why can't I have both? Why does everyone close to me just leave or disappear?_

That also included Yuzu, which left a heavy strain on Yuya's heart. Ever since they were separated by the war, he strived to bring her back no matter what, but he failed. He completely failed. And now he didn't know what happened to her, even though Reiji's words about Leo bringing her back from Academia brought a little relief to his ears.

If anything, he needed to see her again, even if it meant confronting Reiji about it. But his thoughts were halted when a sudden knock thumped on his bedroom door.

"If you want to take up kick-boxing, I could always purchase a punching bag for you," the friendly voice of Yusho, the famed pioneer of Action Duels in the Pendulum Dimension, called from the other side of the door. "Mother would kill me if she found out I had let you put some holes in her walls."

"S-sorry, Dad," Yuya weakly replied from the other end.

"Mind if I come in?" Yusho politely asked.

The boy removed his hand from the wall, cradling the knuckles and wincing slightly (why did he punch so hard?). The wall had a small dent, but Yuya didn't focus much on it. Hearing Yusho's question, he, for a brief moment, wanted to say "No, I'm good," but his mouth betrayed him.

"S-sure, Dad."

Yusho slowly opened the door and stepped inside, surveying the various piles of clothes, manga, and cards scattered on the floor with a click of his tongue. He was still limping from his injury, but he managed to stand up straight and tall as he approached Yuya.

"It's just like I remember when I left," he sighed. "Well...minus En and Core. Those two can wreak havoc on a home's decor." A soft, light-hearted hum left him, fondly shaking his head at the thought of the otherwise rambunctious pair. "Mind if I sit on your bed?"

Yuya nodded his head, struggling to figure out what to say and how he should say it. With a groan, Yusho slowly settled on the bed, before patting on the bed next to him, indicating that his son should join him. Yuya, seeing that he had no choice and not wanting to be rude and refuse his father's offer, walked over and settled down next to him.

"I couldn't help but notice that something seemed to be...weighing down on you," Yusho patiently explained. "Of course, I could not blame you, after all you experienced in the inter-dimensional war, but I wanted you to know that I am here for you, if you ever need to talk about it."

Yuya balled his fists on his lap, keeping his gaze low to the ground. "There...are a few things."

He didn't want to explain the whole situation about Odd-Eyes with his father. In fact, he didn't mention anything about his incident with Zarc in the alley since his return. The other boys were more vocal, _especially_ Yugo, about the incident, but as for Yuya himself...

He wanted to figure things out on his own, and perhaps see if there was a way to resolve it and get Odd-Eyes back. But everyone noticed that it was taking a toll on his spirit and mental state, that he was silently pushing people away for a bit. And they were worried for him.

 _Why did you leave Odd Eyes?_ the boy thought sadly to himself. _Why did you pick Zarc over me?_

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Yusho, who placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Yuya? Is something wrong?'

The boy sighed for a moment, conflicted on whether to tell his father or not. Then again, what good would it do for him to hold it inside all alone? "It's just my dragon...Odd-Eyes," Yuya started in a meek tone, his gaze downcast. "My deck isn't the same without him."

Yusho was a bit befuddled by that. "What? You lost Odd Eyes?" He knew his son well; he and his ace were practically inseparable.

The boy nodded sadly, feeling tears threatening to well up in his eyes. "Y-yes..." He clenched and unclenched his fists on his lap, letting a few tears fall and splatter. Yuya would be lying if he told anyone that he didn't want Odd-Eyes back, and even though he didn't fully understand why he would choose Zarc, he trusted the dragon enough to have a good reason and a kind heart for it.

 _I just want to know why. And I wish there was a way for you to come back...to me..._

Pulling his legs up to his chest, Yuya buried his head in his knees and sobbed freely, letting out all the pent-up emotions he kept bottled up inside his heart. Yusho rubbed his son's back soothingly, waiting for his cries to subside. Yuya was obviously going through a lot at the moment, and needed his comfort at the very least.

The boy's whimpers were muffled through his clothes. "It's not fair! It's not fair! Why did Odd Eyes leave me?!"

Yusho's eyes saddened. "It's alright, son. You'll find him and get him back..."

Yuya didn't want to cry or release his emotions so easily, especially before his father, but the overwhelming guilt and sorrow in his heart over the loss for his ace, his best friend, was too much. And...for some strange reason, he felt sorry for Zarc as well. His mind recalled the image of the weakened demon-defeated, begging for mercy, and crying helplessly while laying flat on the cold alley ground...

The boy breathed in shakily, deciding to break the ice.

"Dad...do you know what happened?" Yuya asked all of a sudden. "A-after...after Yuri carded you?"

It was a strange question, one that held a lot of pain and gravity for the father and son pair. The dark memory resurfaced into Yuya's mind and replayed every moment, the painful time when his sadistic counterpart defeated and carded his own father right before his eyes out of sheer glee. He hated it.

Yusho was not fond of that day either, but didn't let it get to him. "Not much, son. Leo relayed to me only some of the events, your mother has been secretive on the details, and your friends are all recovering on their own. However, they did say something happened to you. I didn't want to ask until you were ready, but if this is the reason why you're feeling down..."

"Part of it is," the boy replied simply, taking a deep breath.

Yusho rubbed his back some more. "Then tell me. Explain to me everything you know from that moment, but feel free to stop if it gets uncomfortable..."

Yuya looked up at him, his eyes a little puffy and red from the tears. But there was resolve within his teary gaze, one that his father understood. "Well...when you were carded, I...I lost it." He gripped his heart, right over the pendulum pendant (with the string fixed again). "I challenged Yuri to a duel with everything on the line, fueled by a desire to win no matter what. And the demon inside of me—Zarc, he took over because of that desire." His expression grew more and more guilty as the story went on, showing that he held much remorse for his actions. "I threw away my ideals for entertainment all to get revenge, and when I won...that was all Zarc needed to revive."

Yusho's brow furrowed. He remembered Leo tell the story of Zarc's existence shortly before he dueled Yuri, but was surprised the demon duelist succeeded in resurrecting himself. It was very troubling, to say the least.

Yuya struggled to explain the next part, mostly because Zarc was in control while he was suppressed by the demon's presence than out of pure fear and guilt of what happened. Thankfully, his friends and comrades filled in the blanks for him. "He went on a rampage in the Fusion Dimension. So many people died from it, and my friends tried to stop him."

"People died?" Yusho would be lying if he said he wasn't appalled by that.

Yuya nodded sadly. "Yes. Zarc revived as a giant dragon and was flying all over Academia demanding people to duel him while destroying everything in his path. He hurt so many innocents..."

He couldn't begin to imagine the screams and horror of the situation, of a demon laying waste to all civilization in his path all to sate his thirst for blood. It was gruesome for Yuya, and he didn't dwell much on the thought for his own sake and for his father's.

"My friends stepped in and dueled Zarc before he could do any more damage," Yuya continued. "But...he defeated all of them, one by one..."

"So he was successful?" The truth was a little hard to take in. However, Yusho figured that that wasn't the case if the current worlds were still intact (albeit with plenty of casualties from the past war). If Zarc won, everything currently would've been reduced to rubble.

"Almost." Yuya summed it up. "But Reira, the youngest of the Lancers, managed to call out to me. I remember fighting against Zarc from the inside, even though he was quite strong."

Aside from acknowledging his son's spirit to overcome the demon, something else struck out to the man.

"Reira?" Yusho parroted. He remembered that Lancer a little, but not much was known about her. "You mean Reiji's younger sibling?"

"Yes. She was the last to duel Zarc after Reiji lost, but..." A relieved smile graced his features. "She was able to bring Zarc down..or so we thought. He pulled a trap at the last second to end the duel in a draw..."

It took Yusho a few seconds to process the last part. "What kind of trap forced him to end the duel?"

"It was Self-Destruct Button." That trap was a card only a few duelists had, and it was used only as a last resort. There was a reason for its rare appearance in a well-meaning duel, and everyone present during that time knew why; it was difficult to execute, and the devastating power could leave a lot of damage to the whole area. "Everyone was surprised that he had a card like that." Yuya shuddered when he recalled the effects of the trap. "Even I felt the explosion after he activated it. A lot of my friends were injured from it."

Yusho was surprised by such news. He had thankfully little experience himself with the card in the past, knowing that there were always high stakes and risks whenever someone activated it in a Solid Vision duel. However, given that they were all still alive, he assumed that no one died from the blast. "I'm guessing the injuries weren't too serious," he concluded with relief in his voice.

"Everyone was able to recover..." Yuya then remembered Reira, his smile dropping briefly. "Well, almost everyone."

"Almost? So one of your friends was hurt?"

Yuya sighed sadly. "Reira...she is the youngest member of the Akaba family," the boy explained. "However, she is in a coma."

"What happened?"

"When Zarc's trap exploded, Reira was hit full force by the shockwave and burned by the fire it caused. It threw her backwards into a wall, where she hit her head and fell unconscious."

Yuya shuddered. "As far as I know, Reiji and Leo are keeping an eye on her to make sure she recovers."

Yusho nodded in understanding, feeling sympathy for the youngest Akaba child. "I see. Well, I hope she makes a full recovery soon."

"Me too." A soft chuckle escaped from the boy. "They all did their best to reach out to me. I could never thank them enough for it."

"So what happened to Zarc after that?" the man asked. "Is he still alive? And how did you separate from him?"

Yuya went silent for a moment. This was the part he hated to discuss. "Well...we, I and my counterparts, all separated from him after the fight." His shoulders shook slightly. "He was left very weak..." The boy bit back a sob. "Odd Eyes and the other dragons, their cards were sticking out from Zarc's deck..."

The boy was hesitant in the past, too hesitant. They had an opportunity to just grab the cards, ditch Zarc and hightail it out of there. They could've left him behind, and perhaps none of this would happen in the first place...unless the dragons planned to materialize anyway.

Yusho patted his back as the boy continued crying again. "I retrieved them and took back Odd Eyes, and gave the other dragons to my counterparts. We were about to leave, but then...Zarc...he started begging for them." His eyes softened. "He was pleading for mercy, and I was unsure of whether to leave the dragons with him or to take them."

"You really wanted to take them, didn't you?" the father guessed.

Yuya sniffled. "Y-yes."

But it wasn't right to do so. If the dragons went with them, then Zarc would've been all alone. Nobody would help him out of fear and hate of his actions, and he would've most likely succumbed to his wounds as a result. Yuya knew that he would've been left with guilt in his heart over his fate.

Perhaps that was also why the dragons made the choice for them. It still stung.

"And then..." Yuya remembered the next part like it was yesterday, how the dragons separated from him. "Zarc...he...he begged so much and pleaded so hard until the dragons literally came to life from their cards! They stood between him and us..."

Yusho was surprised to hear about this. "The dragons...brought themselves to life?" He was in disbelief of how a monster could summon itself without the aid of the Solid Vision system. He himself had a particular trap, Restraining Sword of Impact, whose effect and mass would not dissipate even when an Action Duel was over. That was a bug with the system, a bug that he and Leo had known for a while and decided to keep in the case of an emergency. Still, it was drastically different from what Yuya had just explained to him about the dragons.

"Somehow, they did." Yuya closed his eyes in thought, still crying. "They manifested themselves from the cards and stood before us. We didn't activate our duel disks, so we had no idea how or why they were there, but it soon became clear they chose to go with Zarc. The others were angry and horrified by their choice..."

"What about you?"

"I..." What _did_ he feel?

Betrayed? Yes. Conflicted? Definitely. Angry? Not...really.

If anything, Yuya was just suffering from confusion and dismay. He had so many questions about the situation, but no time or opportunity allowed by Odd-Eyes to have them answered.

"I...just wanted to know _why."_ Yuya lowered his head till his bangs hung before his eyes, hiding them from view. "I want to know why Odd-Eyes would choose Zarc over us. And, if possible, if there was some way to bring him back without hurting anyone." There were so many things in that situation that didn't seem or felt right, whether it was taking the dragons away from Zarc or letting them go with him.

 _Odd-Eyes...what do you see in him that I and the others don't see?_

Of course, Yuya then remembered that one moment in the alleyway, when Zarc was pleading for mercy, asking not to take Odd-Eyes away from him. He looked absolutely devastated, and it nearly broke Yuya's heart.

 _There was just so much pain in his eyes, as if he lost all hope in everything..._

Yuya didn't know what to think of Zarc anymore. "Maybe...there was something about Zarc...I just can't see yet. Maybe if I understood Odd-Eyes' feelings at the time, then maybe the situation would be better."

Yusho was very proud of his son, knowing that Yuya would rather seek a peaceful route that resolved conflict rather than lash out in anger, wanting to understand the actions of his friend rather than calling him out for betrayal. He was altruistic in a sense. However, even so, the situation had no right answer. There was no simple way out of what his son went through, and his heart was breaking as a result. He was suffering. It was quite selfless of Odd-Eyes to make such a difficult choice for him, even though it came with a grievous cost, and it was up to the boy on whether he should trust the dragon's instinct or not.

After all, it was probably equally hard on Odd-Eyes as it was for Yuya.

It was a lot to put on for a young boy, so Yusho changed the subject slightly to lighten the mood for a bit, his tone soft. Plus, he was curious on how much things had changed in his absence. "And how are your friends doing, and, as I should say, your counterparts?"

"Well, Yuto is helping with Shun and Dennis in the Xyz Dimension." Yuya couldn't help but smile a bit from the thought. "They're really doing everything to repair the damage and help the citizens. And many students of Academia are providing the supplies for them...they really want to make amends with the victims."

"Glad to hear that they're making a change." Of all the people, Yusho was particularly happy for his former student, Dennis Mackfield. One of the many victims twisted by Academia's teachings and purpose for the war, he was a mole to the Xyz Dimension and the Lancers and eventually torn on his alliance. The man was very disheartened when the teen, after having lost in his mission and therefore "unable to return to the Professor, committed suicide by carding himself.

Yuya caught the sudden implication, smiling wider. "I heard that Dennis and some of the former Academia students, along with Asuka, are teaching Dueltaining to the children of the Xyz citizens. But..." his eyes were downcast, "it will take a lot more work before there's enough progress to make a successful recovery."

Yusho hummed in thought. "But their hearts are changing, aren't they?"

"Yeah..." Silence lingered for a moment, the boy pondering over his father's question. "As for the other counterparts, they're doing okay too. Yugo is rebuilding his D-Wheel after his last one got destroyed, but he misses Rin. And Yuri..." A cold shudder shot down his spine. "He's plain old Yuri. Reiji offered to take him into LDS for temporary residence, but he wanted to be on his own. Said that he had a few things on his mind and needed some time to himself over it."

His father chuckled mirthly some more; even though he was defeated and carded by the soldier, he held almost no grudge or anger against the Fusion duelist unlike his son. As unhinged the boy was, he still had some reason to his actions, and was also controlled primarily by Zarc in the past. Furthermore, Yuri wasn't exactly a deemed threat anymore (except in a duel)...even though there was still something off in his mannerisms.

"How are they emotionally? Are they handling the situation with the dragons well?" Unfortunately, that was a completely different story, one with much less progress.

"It's hard for all of us to live and duel without the dragons..." There was some weight in the boy's voice, hitching slightly. He dearly missed his ace, a very close friend and partner in the duels. Even though his deck could work a little well without Odd-Eyes, it didn't feel complete. Yuya felt empty as well, still lost in despair. "I...I want to duel again despite this...but I can't. Not without Odd-Eyes."

 _Yuto, Yugo, Yuri. They all miss their dragons too. We all want them to come back, but we don't know if they will ever. And if so, we don't know where they are._

"When you want to cry, don't forget to smile. And if you feel sad, let your heart be filled with laughter."

"Hmm?" Yuya looked up, snapping out of his thoughts. His father bore his signature warm grin in tandem with the cryptic words, showing that despite everything that happened, he was still there for him through it all. After all, that's what fathers were for: supporting their family through all sorts of hardships.

"I understand that you have been through a lot for anyone your age. But don't let it shake your resolve now, no matter how hopeless the situation may be. Perhaps to shed some light, you can help your comrades with their needs and I assure you that they will smile. It is what a friend would do in times such as now." Leaning onto his cane, he stood up with difficulty, limping back to the door before turning once more to his son. "I know you very well, and I'm so proud of you. You're not a demon or just my son anymore."

"Then what am I?" Yuya tilted his head in confusion, perplexed where his father was going with this.

"What else?" The man chuckled in a low baritone, his eyes twinkling with fatherly amusement. "You're Yuya Sakaki. And if there is anything about you that makes me so proud, it would be your heart to help others through Entertainment Dueling and Pendulum Summoning. Perhaps such a strength could change even a demon."

"You mean...even Zarc?"

Even after the war, Yusho knew that his son still had a few things to learn. However, he was on the right path and had a good heart, and it wouldn't surprise him if the demon duelist could also change because of Yuya. "Don't forget the purpose of a pendulum, son. When it swings one way, it comes back around."

He left after wishing his son a good night's sleep, but his lingering words rang true in the boy's mind. Yuya understood partially on what his father meant, but couldn't see how he had such a strength could help in this situation. But then another mystery was suddenly clear under evaluating what Yusho said.

 _Is that what Odd-Eyes' desire was?_

* * *

 **And finished. I hope this helps answer, or alleviate some questions for you. I usually focus on one to two things per chapter, while also subtly bringing in other themes and hints that will be revealed in greater detail later. ;) I already gave quite a few hints in the past chapters; if you have a sharp eye, you might spot them.**

 **Sorry if any of the characters were OOC in this. I try hard to picture their responses to what would be considered some real-life situations (a beloved family member going to jail, losing your best friend without knowing why, etc). So this is sorta what I'm portraying them as, people who realistically react to their environments when they change for the better (or worse) WHILE hopefully not losing too much character as a result.**

 **Also, I changed a couple things (specifically Reira's gender as everyone confirmed her to be a girl, so that was also changed in the past chapters). That is why I recommend to those who haven't yet to read the previous chapters.**

 **Time for reviews!**

 _ **To Ulrich362: Guess we'll have to wait and find out. ;)**_

 _ **To KuriMaster13: Behind the scenes, they are definitely together. XD**_

 _ **To ChaosPulsar: Yeah, he is definitely very observant.**_

 ** _To Epsilon Tarantula: YOUR WISH HAS ALMOST BEEN GRANTED! HAHA. And I edited the past chapter to fix those issues, thanks! It was a little bit of a rough draft, and I was in a hurry to write and edit it, so check it out!_**

 ** _To Lspaceship: It's good to BE back, thanks!_**

 ** _To Venemous Blade: Thanks for all the critiques! This chapter addresses the whole issue with Ray's memories and Leo's punishment in full force, so hey. :) And Yuri is Yuri. Troll is troll. Yuri is troll. Troll is Yuri._**

 ** _To 4fireking: Anytime._**

 ** _To Fenghuang0296: That is an interesting idea. I'm a little unsure of whether to give the boys new aces as I'm sure if it will fit their character or the current setting of the story (except Yuri, although he would still miss Starve Venom). I'm really more focused on their interactions and character than the duels for the first arc, at least, but thanks again!_**

 ** _To Eternal Darkness: Well, Arc-V is interesting in its own timeline. I'm thinking that the four protags did exist in the Original_** ** _Dimension, but that was all way before the events of the show, and their story is still different from the original story and the spinoff stories. Plus, Jack, Crow, Kaito, etc, they are all alternate versions that fit only in the Arc-V universe. Ray would not have heard of them mostly because of the time span between the current worlds and the Original Dimension: around 15 years. Jack would've been a boy when the worlds split up, the others even younger. They would not have been well-known. There are multiple factors that come into play here._**

 ** _To ScalchopWarrior: XD Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!_**

 ** _To ThePLOThand: I don't really think about music when writing these, so feel free to. :) And actually, the first arc won't have as many duels, but once we get into the tournament, I will start including duels, especially up to the climax of the story. :D_**

 ** _To XYZArtemis: Thanks!_**

 ** _To Leafeon12: Yup! Guess we'll have to wait and see!_**

 ** _To Ghostkid33: Yeah, those were the main focuses of the chapter! And yeah, poor Yugo! XD_**

 ** _To Oleo: I see Super Polymerization as something Judai and Haou used in their current situation. It doesn't apply to Zarc the same way because his situation is different._**

 ** _To Guest: Done!_**

 ** _To Aira Aura: Exactly. It's everyone's fault. XD_**

 **Thanks for your patience so far! The question for this chapter is "What will Ray do now that she knows what her father has done?"**

 **I'm finishing up my college class and all that, so hopefully I will be freer after this! Please review, follow, favorite, and until next time, this is CTA out and God is good! :DDDD**


	7. Yuto's Passionate Feelings

**Whew, looks like the last chapter came out great! AND ALREADY OVER 100 REVIEWS?! That is a literal record for me and my stories, thanks! Shoutout to** ** _fanfic meister_** **for being the 100th reviewer! Congrats, friend! :D**

 **Anyway, I'm dedicating this chapter as well to more of the Arc-V characters and their situations, but don't worry! The story plot will start to move nearing the end of Chapter 7 (for those confused, I count by the prologue, then by the story chapters, so it will be Chapter 9 on Fanfiction for all of you).**

 **I also got two new kittens! You can check my YouTube channel (CorinnetheAnime) for the latest video of them playing. Their names are Selena and Ray. XD**

 **Thanks again to _Donjusticia_ for helping with the chapter and the duel! You're the best! :D And enjoy!**

* * *

"So what's the day's count so far?"

One of the Fusion students, a Slifer carrying a clipboard, flipped through the pages. His eyes scrutinized the various graphs and notes before finding the right report. It held the census of victims of the Academia invasions, which numbered into the millions. "Two new families and five individuals, ranging from ages two to fifty-four, all accounted for with little injuries. They will be reported into a nearby recovery camp."

"That's a little low by normal standards," the other student, his superior, mused with worry.

"There are still many more in the city who haven't come out of hiding yet," his subordinate hastily explained. "And some are unable to, most likely from an accident or illness."

"How many do you think are hiding?"

"Hard to say. Dozens, maybe?"

The two students paused in their conversation when they noticed Yuto and Shun approaching them from the distance. The other, an Obelisk blue (which was acknowledged as being a higher-up), turned to the Resistance fighters, nodding in respect. He knew they would either ask a few questions about their progress or give their own reports about the locals.

Since the end of the war, most of Academia had taken their time to provide resources and shelter for the remnants of the Resistance and the damaged Xyz Dimension as a whole. It took many months, and substantial progress had been made. But there were multiple conflicts that hindered them from fully helping, one being the destroyed city, as it held multiple survivors who were still wary of the Fusion faction to risk coming out into the open again.

But there was something else too, one that troubled them greatly.

"What's the status on the missing survivors for the Club Branch?" Shun asked abruptly, getting straight to the point. "Any progress?"

The Slifer soldier hung his head down. "Still missing," he grunted. "We could organize a search party with the Resistance members, were it not for the other...complications."

"Complications?" Yuto asked.

The Slifer student looked to his Obelisk superior, who nodded, giving permission to speak. "Some of our own men have been disappearing lately, or rather, their cards have been showing up," he explained. "We can reverse the process, of course, but we don't want to risk any more encounters or chances with whoever is attacking."

"We believe whoever is doing it is either a malcontent from our own dimension, or a Resistance fighter taking revenge into their own hands and taking on our own men," the Obelisk Soldier added. "We haven't found any carded Xyz civilians, but that may just be because he or she is actually storing those cards, rather than leaving them as a warning like the other victims."

"That sounds like trouble," Yuto mused, his eyes narrowing in thought. The idea of a few rebels from either faction, hurting others either for the sake of revenge or for "fun," was still plausible. After all, there was still tension between the two former enemies, and some people could never forgive or be forgiven of their actions. Another war could easily brew if fanatics such as these continued to stir up trouble. This was a serious matter they had to deal with by themselves. "We can help investigate whoever the perpetrator is if it helps."

"And maybe knock some sense into them," Shun added in a low tone, carrying a subtle undertone of aggression.

Both Academia students glanced at each other, silently coming to an agreement. They could help.

"I've been preparing some of my men," the Obelisk soldier replied. "Whoever's been doing this has been striking primarily in these sectors. He or she apparently strikes quickly, cards the duelists, and then disappears before reinforcements can arrive. Unfortunately, we haven't managed to restore any of the victims yet, so we have no intel on what deck he or she uses."

"The uncarding process takes time," Yuto mused out loud. "By which time the attacker could easily manage to make more victims. We can't allow this to continue."

"We've faced plenty of greater threats than a single rogue duelist," Shun agreed, cracking his knuckles.

"I wish you luck, then," the Obelisk soldier sighed. "My men and I will meet you at the rendezvous point in fifteen minutes. Once we deploy, we will spread out in groups of two in order to locate survivors and the rogue. Keep the tracking function on your duel disks on so that we can all see one another's locations and stay in contact. Sound good to you?"

"Shun and I will go together," Yuto agreed. "We know the city both inside and out, like the back of our hands. Just make sure that your men don't wander too far off from one another."

The student sighed wearily. "Very well, if that is what you wish. We'll scour the other sectors and see if they appear." He ran a finger through his hair, removing some of the sweat off his forehead. "Let's hope we can find this rogue before they cause any more damage to our peace."

"Again, you can trust us," Yuto reassured. "We'll take this fugitive down and alert you."

* * *

It was not an easy mission, Yuto had to admit. Whoever was doing this, recklessly attacking and carding Fusion (and possibly Xyz) individuals had some expertise in leaving no tracks or traces of their identity behind. It almost made the few cards that were "dropped" somewhat ironic and a little unsettling.

Were they walking into a trap? Or perhaps into an ambush? That was likely. All the more reason to keep their guard up and eyes peeled. Even so, the older Raidraptor duelist noted that his friend hadn't spoken a word since they left the camp.

"You have been too quiet, even for someone like you, Yuto." Shun's voice cut through the deafening silence like a blade, directed to his younger comrade. "Something is on your mind."

"I don't want to give away our position," Yuto whispered back, changing the subject so as to not bother his friend with his thoughts. "They could be anywhere."

"Somehow, I doubt that this rogue duelist really wants to hide," Shun replied, looking off into the distance. He noted that Yuto dodged his concerns, but decided to wait until later before addressing it again. He knew the boy had a lot on his mind over the past few weeks.

"You think that us coming here was part of his plan, then?" Yuto asked.

"Why else would they leave the cards for Academia to find?" Shun asked. "This duelist is leaving calling cards as bait, hoping to find even bigger prey."

Yuto nodded solemnly. "All the more reason for us to keep our guard up," he mused, thinking over what kind of reason this rogue would have for trying to continue fighting. "We don't have any idea how strong this duelist is. Worse, we don't have any idea how he or she—!"

Two red dots on his and Shun's duel disk suddenly went out. In the distance, they could hear a faint explosion going off. The two Xyz duelists quickly put two and two together, alarmed by the revelation.

"Captain!" Yuto called, addressing the Obelisk Commander through his duel disk. "What's your current status!?"

Nothing but static answered on the other end, which signaled that something happened to them. Shun immediately began running in the direction of the explosion, Yuto following close behind for backup.

A little distance off, another immense explosion rang out through the otherwise silent sky, with two more dots fading away at the same time.

"Whoever's doing this, his deck works fast!" Yuto exclaimed. At least that partially answered their question on the mysterious duelist's strength.

"I can see the smoke," Shun growled, eyes narrowed. "He's close by, so keep your guard up, Yuto!"

They passed through what was approximately three blocks of buildings, when another explosion, this time sounding very close by, suddenly knocked a nearby building off its foundation, causing the entire structure to begin plummeting towards Shun and Yuto. They looked up to see it crashing down right on top of them.

With their lives flashing momentarily before their eyes, they reacted without thinking, each of them jumping opposite ways so that they managed to dodge the falling structure. With a deafening crash the building collided into the ground, scattering debris and leaving an immense wall of rubble between Yuto and Shun. It would be very difficult to cross the rubble without hurting themselves, and given the situation time was not on their side.

"Are you alright, Shun?!" Yuto called out to his friend.

He barely managed to make out Shun's muffled voice from the other side, when a raging blast of flame rocketed into the building in front of Yuto, the subsequent explosion lifting him off his feet before he roughly crashed into the ground.

Groaning, Yuto managed to pull himself from the ground before spying a figure approaching him, the silhouette of an immense monster floating in the air above him.

The monster was cloaked in the shadow of the smoke, so he couldn't make it out what it was. The rogue himself was covered in a musty cloak that spread over most of his body, save for his legs, head, and arms, but Yuto caugh the flint of an Academia uniform underneathz

One thing was for sure; this was the target they were searching for. Except it found _them._

Yuto gritted his teeth, baring his duel disk's purple blade. "So you're the one behind all this?"

"Finally showed up," the figure sighed with relief, voice slightly muffled by his cloak. Even with the gruff tone, Yuto could make out that the owner was masculine. "I was getting tired of dealing with Academia traitors and sniveling Xyz remnants. Thanks for delivering yourself to me. Once I take out one of the Xyz Dimension's heroes, maybe my fellow students will finally wake up from this little dream and realize that we DIDN'T lose the war!"

Before the Xyz duelist could reply, the Academia soldier had shot a line of energy from his duel disk, which wrapped around Yuto's duel disk arm. With a tug, the duelist pulled him forward, Yuto's own duel disk automatically activating against his will.

 _Duel Commencing - Yuto v.s. Rogue Duelist_

"Shun!" Yuto called into his duel disk. "I've found-..."

"Don't even bother," the duelist growled. "I'm scrambling your transmission, so you're fighting me one-on-one without any pesky interruptions. And don't think anybody's gonna come to rescue you in time either. I intend to make this quick!"

Yuto knew he had no choice. Whoever this maniac was, they were already forcing him into a duel, which was one of Academia's previous tactics to find their victims. Even the energy cord was the exact same. But he had to be sure if his hunch about this rogue was correct...

"Fine. We'll settle this in a duel, just as you want!"

 _Turn 1: Rogue Duelist_

 _LP: 4000_

 _[] = 5_

"MY MOVE!" Yuto's opponent looked down at his hand, immediately smiling at what he drew. It was a good hand right at the start, and he immediately concocted a quick scheme to take down his opponent. "I set one monster face-down before setting one card face-down in my Spell/Trap Card Zone and ending my turn!"

Yuto's eyes narrowed before he drew from his Deck. "Then it's the start of mine. Let's see what you have up your sleeve."

 _Turn 2: Yuto_

 _LP: 4000_

 _[] = 6_

 _Alright, what can I do?_ Glancing at his hand, Yuto strategized over what to do with the little information he had collected about the foe. _This duelist fights fast and must have a powerful deck to take down so many people so effectively. I'll need to begin with a strong and ready defense for whatever he has in store._

He took one card, placing it down on his duel blade. "I Normal Summon Phantom Knights - Ragged Gloves."

A ghostly warrior, clad in dark blue armor over his chest and arms, floated on the field before Yuto. Orange flames sprouted from its gloves and head, the latter being in ponytails. It had a light blue wispy tail below the belt **(3/1000/500)**.

Before the rogue could make any snide remarks on its appearance, Yuto continued with more summons from his hand (which, for the most part, shut him up). "Since I control a 'Phantom Knights' monster, I can Special Summon Phantom Knights - Silent Boots."

Another warrior, this one adorned in brown garments over a dark set of pants, stood next to its comrade. It had chains on its "arms," small skulls around its neck, and a blue face that featured only a small set of dark dots for eyes **(3/200/1200)**.

"I can Special Summon a second Phantom Knights - Silent Boots due to the same effect." A second copy of the same monster appeared next to the knights. Yuto had the pieces he needed, stretching out his hand. "I create the Overlay Network with my Level three Phantom Knights - Silent Boots and Phantom Knights - Ragged Gloves!"

A glowing portal, reminiscent to a black hole with golden sparkles of light decorating around it, circulated before the two monsters. An aura of blue covered their bodies before they disappeared into the Xyz network, with a column of light bursting out from the center.

 _"Souls of warriors fallen on the battlefield. Revive now and become the light to rend the darkness! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank three! Phantom Knights - Break Sword!"_

A hunkering bulk of armor riding on a metallic horse galloped from the Xyz portal, blue flames erupting from underneath all of the armor. It wielded a huge executioner's blade over its right shoulder, making the opponent a little uneasy at the sight of the weapon **(3/2000/1000)**.

Sensing that the duelist was a little intimidated, Yuto continued with his plan. "Ragged Glove's effect gives Break Sword an extra thousand ATK since it was Xyz Summoned." The knight's blade glowed an ominous blue as its power increased by a large amount _(ATK: 2000 - 3000)_. "Furthermore, I detach an Overlay Unit to activate its effect: by targeting one card I control and one card you control, I can destroy them."

A small smirk graced itself on the rogue's face, hidden from Yuto. "Oh, really? What card of mine do you plan on destroying?"

"Perhaps your face-down in the Spell/Trap Zone." The Xyz duelist gestured to his other monster. "I destroy my second Silent Boots, so expose your card!"

The face-down on the opponent's field slowly rose up, revealing itself to be a Trap known as Call of the Haunted, before dissipating into sparkles alongside his warrior. It wasn't a super powerful card as Yuto had expected, but at least that was out of the way. All that was left was his face-down monster.

He would just have to risk it for now. "Battle Phase! Break Sword, attack and destroy his face-down!"

The knight's horse neighed and reared on its hind legs before it charged down to the set card, bringing down the glowing blade to it. It cut the unsuspecting monster in two, which the opponent revealed by stretching his own hand out.

"By attacking and destroying my UFO Turtle"—an aged turtle with an alien ship-looking shell also evaporated—"I can Special Summon a FIRE monster with 1500 or less ATK from my Deck! Come out, Cyber Phoenix!"

Yuto was more or less worried as a metallic phoenix with four wings, donned with orange feathers, flew to the field with a shrieking cry **(4/1200/1600)**. He waited till his knight returned before finishing up with one last move, and in a whole, his turn. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"As much as I would expect from Xyz scum!" the opponent cackled to himself before drawing from his deck. However, what he shouted only confirmed Yuto's suspicions even further; there was only one faction who called them _Xyz scum._

 _So they probably are of Academia, or, at least of its former ways. And from what we know of their actions, they're a crazed fanatic still pursuing to hunt and hurt others._ This left him with all the more reason to keep his guard up, his eyes narrowed. _I need to end this quickly._

"IT'S MY TURN!"

 _Turn 3: Rogue Duelist_

 _LP: 4000_

 _[]: 4_

The duelist looked at what he drew, his smile widening with glee. "Perfect! Just the card I need to grind you to dust! I play the Spell, Fusion!"

Yuto gritted his teeth. _There is no doubt. But what is he going to summon?_

The familiar whirlpool of blue and orange swirled behind the opponent, who spread out his arms wide. His voice hitched to a higher pitch, slightly unhinged, as he continued to explain its effects. "I fuse Ducker and Prominence Dragon in my Hand to Fusion Summon!"

A two-legged metal android with guns protruding from its head, and a scaled snake with fire covering most of its body (save for its underbelly) both disappeared into the light of the swirling portal. The Fusion fugitive clasped his hands together, symbolizing the fusion of the two monsters inside the spell.

 _"Warrior of strong metal, become one with the dragon burning with the sun's flame! Be reborn as a terrifying beast of armor and fire! Fusion Summon! Level six! Explosive Beast Volcannon!"_

A horned dragon with grey scales and covered in bulky armor roared proudly before soaring down to the field. It had four arms, two red cannons on its "shoulders," and a whip-like tail **(6/2300/1600)**. The strength of the monster's cry rolled off in waves against Yuto's knight, even though it was still more powerful.

"2300 ATK?" It was nothing to sneeze at. And as far as Yuto knew, it had even more powerful abilities that he had to watch out for.

His hunch was right. "I activate Explosive Beast Volcannon's special ability! I target one monster you control and then destroy it and destroy Volcannon. Then, if both were destroyed, I can inflict damage to you equal to the original ATK of your destroyed monster!"

Yuto widened his eyes; this was going to be some serious trouble for him if he didn't react fast. "Trap activate! Phantom Fog Blade! I target your monster and negate its effec—!"

"NOT SO FAST!" The phoenix on the fugitive's field spread its wings and screeched as he demonstrated what it could do. "Cyber Phoenix's ability! As long as it's in ATK Position, I can negate any Spell and Trap effects that target one Machine monster on my field!"

"That means...!"

"So long for your trap!" The duelist laughed as Yuto's card was destroyed, leaving his monster open for the enemy's beast to obliterate. "Volcannon, destroy his ridiculous pawn!"

Within seconds, the monster effect went through and both aces were destroyed in a blazing fire blast. Yuto kneeled down on one leg and raised his arms to protect his face from the heat, losing half of his Life Points in a single effect _(LP: 4000 - 2000)_.

He dreaded for what the duelist had in mind next, deciding to take action before he could do any more damage. "Since my Break Sword was destroyed, I can Special Summon two 'Phantom Knights' monsters with the same Level in my Graveyard, and then increase their Levels by one!"

The two cloaked warriors returned to the field _(Levels: 3 - 4)_ , which irritated the opponent greatly. He snarled against his teeth before raising his hand. "Big mistake! I attack one of those trashy creatures with Cyber Phoenix! Feel its fiery wings!"

"Not before I play my second Trap!" Yuto raised his hand to the second face-down. "Phantom Knights - Wrong Magnering not negates your attack, but I can also Special Summon this card as a DARK, Warrior-Type Effect Monster!"

A hooded metal knight holding a blue ring that sparked electricity appeared before its master, blocking the phoenix's fire with its own power **(2/0/0)**. The rogue, angered that his attack failed to go through to the Xyz duelist, was forced to end his battle and the turn as a whole.

"I set a face-down. Your move, prey."

The battered Xyz duelist rose up slowly, shaking off the remains of the last blow on his cloak. He guessed that the destroyed beast was this fugitive's ace, which meant he had a few more tricks. Yuto still had to be cautious.

"My turn. Draw!"

 _Turn 4: Yuto_

 _LP: 2000_

 _[]: 2_

The new card in his hand was a good monster. Yuto used it to his advantage. "I Normal Summon Phantom Knights - Fragile Armor."

A set of dark blue armor with a tattered green cape marched to its field, its body composed of bright blue flames. The armor had silver skulls and other menacing designs **(4/1000/2000)**.

"Next, I banish Fog Blade in my Graveyard to activate its effect," Yuto continued. "I target one 'Phantom Knights' in my Graveyard and then Special Summon it to the field, and I target my Break Sword to come back int DEF mode!" His knight on the horse came thundering back from the Graveyard portal.

His enemy wasn't super impressed by the move, crossing his arms and tapping his boot out of impatience. "So you managed to bring it back. It won't change your situation."

"Or so you think!" Yuto was one to smirk, starting his main plan and slowly unraveling it to his enemy. "I banish Ragged Glove to activate its effect, sending one 'Phantom Knights' card from my Deck to the Graveyard." A random card was shuffled out from the Deck, and he placed it into the Graveyard by hand. It was shown to him to be a third Silent Boots.

 _Alright, now I have two Level four monsters on the field._ _I can Xyz Summon Dark Re—! _

He stopped, his heart nearly skipping a beat. For a moment, a brief second, Yuto forgot that his dragon wasn't with him anymore. Dark Rebellion was no longer an available comrade or a friend to lean on, simply because he left the boy for the demon...

 _Why?_ He lowered his duel blade for a moment, his eyes covered in shadow by his purple bangs. _Why did you leave me? I thought we were friends..._

Yuto still struggled with accepting the new truth, but it was bearing down on him now. He had to duel without the use of his dragon and win. He didn't realize he had grown attached and incredibly dependent on Dark Rebellion, but with good reason. He was a loyal comrade, always ready to fight by his side against all enemies that stood in their way. Protective, powerful, fierce and dangerous, the dragon's personality was similar to his own.

They worked well together as partners. But the dragon was now gone.

 _You may not be here now, and I need your power to help end this duel quickly...but I can't._ Yuto breathed in slowly, deeply. _I can't let the loss get to me. Focus, Yuto._

Trying to keep his emotions of frustration and despair about his missing ace in check, Yuto had to make an alternative. Without Dark Rebellion as his ace, it would be harder to get an edge on the duel. But he just had to try for his sake and everyone's.

"I overlay my two Level four Silent Boots and Fragile Armor to build the Overlay Network!" The same black hole appeared before the dark duelist, with the three knights all disappearing into it, and then a column of light burst from the middle.

The Fusion duelist growled to himself. "Another Xyz Summon? What trash are you going to summon this time?"

Yuto took the words to heart, nearly growling. _"Spirits of the comrades lost in battle! Revive in the darkness and fight as one against our foe! Xyz Summon! Come now! Phantom Knights - Old Axe_ _!"_

A mighty animated set of black armor stormed to the field, with the real body of the knight covered in blue flames inside it. It rode on a metal horse like the other Xyz monster, but was instead wielding a powerful and malicious axe instead of an executioner's blade **(4/2300/1300)**.

The intimidating presence of the new monster rolled off in waves against the rogue and his monster, but they didn't let it show. Yuto turned to his new Xyz knight.

"Its ability lets me activate Traps from my hand." That earned a surprised reaction from his opponent, but was mostly ignored by Yuto. "Therefore, I play Phantom Sword from my Hand, and its first effect allows me to target one monster and raise its ATK by eight hundred!"

"Eight hundred?" the rogue parroted, and, for a brief moment, no longer hid his feelings. He was astonished.

"Yes, and I target Old Axe!" The weapon of the monster also glowed with blue fire, and the knight raised it high above his head _(ATK: 2300 - 3100)_. "Furthermore, I detach an Overlay Unit to activate its ability; I can move the monster to the same column as Phantom Sword and then Special Summon one Rank three or Rank five DARK Xyz monster from my Extra Deck or Graveyard!"

The fugitive _hated_ to admit it, but that was a pretty powerful ability.

"I Special Summon from my Extra Deck a Rank three Xyz monster!" Yuto declared, as a card from another portion of his duel disk slipped out to his hand. "Come forth, Phantom Knights - Cursed Blade!"

A set of purple armor came to the field, with light purple flames surrounding the suit and representing the bearer inside. It wielded a weapon like the other two knights, but it was a thinner blade like a katana **(3/1900/1200)**. It had no Overlay Units, which the opponent noted with a wide smile.

"Is that it? It has no special abilities!" he laughed manically.

"The other ability of Aged Axe's effect activates!" The other knight on his field grunted before pointing its weapon at the new Xyz monster. "I can now equip Cursed Blade with a card in my Graveyard that has the same name as the Overlay Unit used to detach from Aged Axe!"

"W-what?" Thinking over what Yuto just said, the rogue widened his eyes. He knew what that meant for him. "Hey, that's not fair!"

But by then, the Graveyard opened up and a light escaped from it, an Overlay Unit, before circling around the katana-wielding knight.

Yuto glared at the enemy, his grey eyes burning with subdued wrath. "However, even though it can use its ability, the monster can't attack as a result. But I'm not finished yet!" He gestured to his Graveyard. "I banish the Silent Boots to activate its effect, which allows me to add a Spell or Trap to my hand."

Another card from his Deck popped out for him to take. However, his enemy was getting impatient with his turn and moves, as well as becoming more and more emotional due to Yuto's plan unraveling his mind. "When are you going to attack?! You're just STALLING!"

No reply from Yuto.

"Shunning me now?" His lip curled into a disgusted snarl; he loathed this Xyz duelist with every fiber of his being. "I'll make you pay for your arrogance! Come on and ATTACK!"

"It's you who is arrogant instead," Yuto retorted, raising his hand before the fugitive could rant on. "Cursed Blade's effect activates: I detach an Overlay Unit, which leaves me to return up to three Banished monsters to my Deck."

"WAIT, WHAT?"

"Ragged Glove, and Silent Boots all return to the Deck and then I can draw one card." The three mentioned cards were revived back to the other cards, soon shuffled in as well. He added the top card to his hand, one that can be used for a later time. "I then banish the other Silent Boots in my Graveyard to draw a second Spell or Trap."

The card he drew next wasn't any one of the three cards either. However, Yuto had all the pieces he needed, unaware of his enemy's plan.

"Battle Phase!" Those two words left a wry smirk on the rogue's lips, waiting for the enemy to make his move. "I attack Cyber Phoenix with Aged Axe! I'll end that fiend with one blow!"

"HA-HA-HA!" A loud cackle rang into the air, making Yuto shudder as his opponent revealed his intentions. "FOOLISH _SCUM!_ YOU FELL FOR IT! I play my Trap, Blazing Mirror Force! Not only can I destroy as many ATK Position monsters as possible on your field, but after I take damage equal to half of the total original ATK of all the monsters, I can inflict the same damage to you!" His card started to shine brightly as a mesmerizing shield formed before him. "It's over for you!"

"Then you will be disappointed," Yuto replied smoothly, making the Fusion rogue growl in anger.

"Don't tell me you got a counter for that!"

"By destroying Phantom Sword, I can stop my monster from being destroyed by battle or a card effect." The glowing aura around the axe-wielding knight slowly died away, also lowering its ATK back to normal _(ATK: 3100 - 2300)_. "That means the attack still goes through."

The enemy gritted his teeth as the knight raised his blade, his steed galloping towards the metallic phoenix. The bird shrieked and bared its talons, but the knight sliced right through the monster's body, cleaving it in two _(LP: 4000 - 2900)_.

"Since Cyber Phoenix was destroyed, I draw a card from its effect!" the rogue snarled, drawing from his Deck.

Unknown to the rogue, more of his true colors were shown. Yuto caught a glimpse of blue underneath the tattered remains of the cloak from the last blow. _So this guy is an Obelisk Blue._

"I end my turn with that, Fusion traitor," he concluded with tranquil fury in his tone.

"So that was the best you could do?!" Another loose cackle escaped from the mentally unhinged foe. "Wow, I'm not surprised! All of you Xyz scum are the same, worthless pieces of trash who can't fight well in a good hunting game! It'll be all the more satisfying for me when I _destroy you!"_

 _Turn 5: Rogue Duelist_

 _LP: 2900_

 _[] = 2_

He drew, looking at the new card with eyes glinting in mad glee. "I activate the Spell, Soul Charge! I Special Summon Cyber Phoenix and Solar Flare Dragon from my Graveyard, but lose a thousand Life Points for every monster Special Summoned this way."

An electric shock shot out from the card and electrocuted the duelist, making him wince slightly _(LP: 2900 - 900)_. Yuto grew very suspicious, eying the one last card in the duelist's gloved hand. Something was up.

 _Perhaps another Fusion? Is he going to bring back his ace?_

"I play the Spell, Fusion Substitute!" His hunch was right as another spell, one very similar to the regular Fusion, but also a little different. "I fuse Cyber Phoenix and Solar Flare Dragon to Fusion Summon my Explosive Beast Volcannon! Return to me, my great servant!"

Sure enough, another metallic dragon with cannons on its shoulders came diving down to the field. It roared majestically, filled with power and anger against the opponent and his ghostly monsters, ready to rip them apart.

"I activate its effect!" he shrieked, stretching his hand up to the metal beast. "I target your Old Axe and destroy both it and my monster! Prepare to take all of that damage again and lose, trash! It's over for you!"

"It won't happen again!" Yuto was ready for something like this to happen again. "You didn't forget about Old Axe's ability with Traps, have you? I can play Phantom Wing from my Hand, increasing my Old Axe's ATK by five hundred and also negating its destruction from battle or card effect! And without your Cyber Phoenix on the field, you can't negate this Trap!"

"YOU DIRTY ROTTEN—!" A few curses fled from the rogue's mouth as the knight gained more ATK and also stayed on the field _(ATK: 2300 - 2800)_. His ace also roared furiously, frustrated to not have been able to destroy or rip anything to shreds. He was left with a fallback. "I banish Fusion Substitute and then shuffle Volcannon from my Graveyard back into my Extra Deck, allowing me to draw another card!"

He hastily drew again, glimpsing at the new spell in his hand. The fugitive was very pleased with what he got, leaving Yuto also extremely uneasy.

 _What does he have this time? It doesn't look good._

"I play Molten Inferno Fusion!" With a wide smile, the Fusion rogue slapped the card down onto the duel blade. "I pay with half of my Life Points _(LP: 900 - 450)_ , then I can banish two FIRE monsters from my Graveyard to Fusion Summon two Pyro-Type monsters and/or Machine-Type Fusion Monsters with different names from my Extra Deck!"

"What?!" Left in shock, Yuto could only watch as his enemy's monsters returned from the Graveyard, disappearing into another Fusion portal that appeared much darker than the ones before. From the light Volcannon returned with vengeance alongside one other monster.

 _"Phoenix reborn from fire, become one with the dragon of the sun! Become a being of scorching heat who razes everything in its path! Fusion Summon! Level eight!_ _Blaze Fenix the Burning Bombardment Bird!"_

A beautiful fiery phoenix, completely covered by flames, soared down to the field with a piercing cry. It had dark metal armor over its arms, chest, and wings, as if framing the fiery structure of the bird **(8/2800/2300)**.

The rogue took his enemy's silence and surprised face as horror, laughing madly. "It's over for you and your pathetic monsters now! I again activate Volcannon's effect and target your Old Axe!"

Yuto heard his scream, thinking up a counterstrategy on the fly by looking at his hand. "I play Phantom Knights - Cankered Cross-Guard and Special Summon it as a DARK, Warrior-Type Effect Monster!"

A small specter holding twin blades floated to the field, wielding the two weapons **(3/0/1500)**.

"It won't stop Volcannon's effect from going through!" The rogue was steadily becoming more and more unraveled, nearly ranting and foaming at the mouth. "DESTROY THEM!"

As the metal dragon destroyed itself, Yuto made sure to not lose his monster and thus, the duel. "I can banish Cankered Cross-Guard to negate the destruction of a battle or card effect that would've destroyed a monster I control!"

"NO!" As the little monster dissipated due to its effect, the rogue was very furious that his monster now failed twice to end his enemy. He switched tactics to deal the Xyz Duelist some heavy damage instead. "I banish Molten Inferno Fusion to Special Summon Volcannon again! Plus, the spell gives my monsters an extra thousand ATK!"

Yuto noticed one specific detail about his enemy; he had a huge dependence on his ace. He's _been using the same monster again and again. However, he can't use that ability again since it wasn't Fusion Summoned...so what's he planning?_

As both monsters on the Fusion duelist's field gained more strength _(Blaze Fenix's ATK: 2800 - 3800/Volcannon's ATK: 2300 - 3300)_ , he snarled viciously, "I activate Blaze Fenix's ability! By losing the ability to attack, it can inflict three hundred damage to you for every card on the field!"

"For every card on the field?" Yuto quickly counted the math in his head, his eyes widening.

"There are six in total," the duelist concluded, smirking predatorily, "which means you take eighteen hundred in damage!"

Yuto tried to find a way to repel the attack, but his luck ran out for that round. The burning phoenix conjured up a fireball in its beak before hurtling it at him, singeing his cloak when it made contact. The heat was intense against his skin, forcing the helpless duelist to shield his eyes and face _(2000 - 200)_.

"I need to finish this...in the next round..."

Smirking that he finally got some damage in, the rogue ended his turn. "Soul Charge prevents me from conducting a Battle Phase. I end my turn for now."

Smoke rose from Yuto's clothes, slowly dissipating into the air. He shakily rose to his full height, dusting off the remains of the attack off of his tattered clothes. However, even if he took a good amount of damage physically, he was far from being defeated in spirit.

"I'm still standing...right on down to the last Life Point!" Yuto declared proudly, his eyes giving a determined glare. "Even if I'm fighting alone and beaten to the ground, even if our comrades fall one by one...I won't fall to someone like you, and I'll prove it right here and now!"

 _Turn 6: Yuto_

 _LP: 200_

 _[] = 3_

"Old Axe's effect allows me to play Phantom Knights - Lost Vambrace. I target Blaze Fenrix with it: your monster loses 600 ATK and its Level goes down to two, and all 'Phantom Knights' cannot be destroyed in battle!"

Dumfounded, his foe could only watch in horror as his Fusion monster was weakened _(3800 - 3200)._ "Well, even so, it's still more powerful than any of your monsters! Same goes for my other dragon!"

"Not for much longer!" Yuto shot back. "I then Special Summon Lost Vambrace in DEF Position as a DARK, Warrior-Type Normal monster!"

A bulky set of breastplate armor and gloves, covering over a blue set of flames with a purple orb in the "chest" region, floated before the duelist besides its fallen comrades **(2/600/0)**.

"It's still weak!" He had to laugh his head off; what was Yuto thinking of Special Summoning the Trap Monster? "Last I checked, if you are planning to Xyz Summon with my monster, you can't!"

"I'm not going to use Blaze Fenrix as an Xyz Material," the Xyz duelist replied cooly. "With my Level two Lost Vambrace and Wrong Magnering, I build the Overlay Network!"

The two Trap Monsters, glowing with their respective auras, soon swirled and disappeared into the black singularity that formed before Yuto's feet. With electricity coursing in the portal, a bright column of light flooded from the opening with a new monster forming in its dark depths.

 _"Ten thousand warriors entombed forever in darkness! Pierce with the cursed spear of rebellion! Descend now! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank two! Phantom Knights - Cursed Javelin!"_

A knight, decorated with skull armor and red cloth, stomped out from the portal. It had blue fire emanating from its shoulder, wielded a sword in its right arm that held skulls, and a shield on the left arm that sported a skull face to intimidate its enemies **(** **2/1600/0)**.

The rogue's pride overlooked one specific detail of the new Xyz Monster. "Oh, look, another Xyz Monster? What's it going to do, bore me to death?"

Fueled by a deep, innate fury burning in his soul, Yuto unleashed the power of his new comrade. "This is the end for you!" Cursed Javelin's effect activates: I detach an Overlay Unit and then target your Blaze Fenix! It loses all of its ATK, and its effects are also negated _(ATK: 3200 - 0)_!"

"EH?" The opponent almost didn't hear the last part. "IT does _what?!"_

"You've heard me!" Yuto snarled back, showing all of his hidden anger up his sleeve. He had had enough of this trash-talking foe and his persistent tactics to drive him to the ground. "This is your downfall for underestimating your opponents and continuing to prolong their suffering! Battle Phase! Cursed Javelin, attack and destroy Blaze Fenix, and wipe out the rest of his Life points!"

"Wait, WAIT!" The Fusion duelist stepped back as the knight brandished its sword, charging straight at his completely defenseless monster. "NO! THIS CAN'T BE THE END! I REFUSE TO BE BEATEN!"

"Finish this duel once and for all!" Yuto cried out. As if answering to his anger and words, the knight's attack went through, the bird being sliced into many pieces before his foe's very eyes. The remains of the monster fell down and burned the rest of his cloak, making the rogue scream in terror while the rest of his Life Points were depleted _(450 - 0)._

The once proud Fusion rebel now laid fallen before Yuto, arms and legs splayed with his body singed from the attacks. His proud monsters were all defeated around him.

"It's over, rogue." Yuto walked over to the duelist, with the chain linking his duel disk to the enemy's quickly disappearing from existence.

"No," the duelist growled, crawling onto his feet. "NO! It's not over! It's NEVER over! Not until we WIN!"

"You've _lost,"_ Yuto bluntly replied. "Academia is no longer fighting the war. They've moved on and have decided to help the other dimensions rebuild. There is no more need to continue fighting and hurting people, which makes people like you _scum_."

"Traitors!" the rogue duelist spat. "YOU'RE ALL TRAITORS! COWARDS!"

"No," Yuto replied, stepping forward and grabbing the collar of the foe to pull him up. "The only one betraying his own dimension now, is you. The Inter-Dimensional War harmed everyone involved, including Fusion. Spreading more conflict and terror is not doing anybody any good, least of all yourself."

"I gave everything for Academia's glory!" the fugitive roared. "And I won't stop fighting until I see Academia grasp it's glorious future! AGAIN! We duel again! Immediately! You didn't have the guts to card me when you defeated me last time, and now you'll pay for it! I'll crush you this time! I'll turn you into a card and tear that card into pieces! I will—!"

A fist to the side of the rogue duelist's head stopped him mid-sentence. Shun stood over the duelist, knuckles cracking and face set in an expression of deep contempt.

Moments later, the remaining Academia soldiers in their group had surrounded the duelist, Duel Disks raised.

"Xyz scum...and traitors..." the rogue panted with contempt. "I don't know which is worse. All of you are living in a delusion! We can't forget the past and live together in harmony now, like we're in some sort of magical fantasy! The war never ended between us! It'll never end! Not so long as there's at least one person to continue fighting and crushing the enemy into the dirt!"

He lunged for his duel disk, button reaching for the emergency escape function on it, but before he could press the screen, Shun's foot slammed down on the duelist's arm, preventing him from teleporting away. He shrieked in pain as the sole of the Raidraptor's shoe nearly broke the bone.

"The fighting's over," Shun growled, his own gold eyes blazing. "You're going to prison."

"Hee hee, he he he!" the duelist snickered. "That's what you think, Xyz scum! There are more people like me than you know. On BOTH sides! When the war resumes, we'll see who's put behind bars...or carded!"

The duelist continued laughing like a madman as the Academia soldiers proceeded to disarm him, handcuff him, and haul him away, ending his crimes. As they walked away, Yuto couldn't help but read the expressions on some of the soldiers' faces. Was that shame? Embarrassment? Or something else entirely?

He couldn't quite make it out as they thanked the Xyz duelists and walked away to a nearby jail camp. The rogue's words rang inside his mind endlessly, repeated over and over into his ears.

 _What if some of what he said is true? Will we find ourselves in another war?_ Yuto felt his heart sank into his stomach, lost in his thoughts until he felt Shun pat his shoulder.

"I don't know what might have happened between you and him," he started in a low voice, his gold stare softened a bit, "but it's clear that something's on your mind. Do you want to talk about it now, friend?"

"Has anything really changed, Shun?" Yuto asked. "All those years, all that fighting...has either side really forgiven? Is that even possible?"

Shun snorted, eyes hardening. "I don't forgive Academia for what it did. I'm just willing to let them try to fix things. So long as they don't try anything again, they can help us rebuild. Once they're done, I personally hope they go back to their dimension and stay there forever."

"Shun!" Yuto exclaimed, not exactly surprised, but somewhat disheartened. "But I thought you consider some of them as our friends!"

"I'm sorry, Yuto," Shun replied, "but that's the truth. Sora, Edo, Asuka, there are a few who are decent, but I can't forgive them for what they did to our home or my sister, and I don't see why I should. The Xyz Dimension did nothing wrong in the war. We didn't want to fight anyone. If Academia has a change of heart and wants to fix what they broke, good for them. But that doesn't change everything they did in the past." His eyes softened a bit. "We still lost Ruri to them."

Yuto nodded solemnly. _And Dark Rebellion too._

Glancing at the direction of the duelist the Fusion soldiers hauled off, Yuto noted that there was one thing in that fated battle, a simple, almost unnoticeable detail that he shared with the rogue. He didn't want to acknowledge it, but it was too alarming, too depressing, too heartwrenching to ignore.

 _He relied on his ace again and again_ _throughout the duel._ Even though his mind and motives were in the wrong place, there was still that relationship with that dragon that he subtly shared. It was like Yuto's own partnership with his former comrade, the dark dragon who always protected him whenever things went downhill...

If anything, Yuto was frustrated. _But why? Why did Dark Rebellion leave me? Was I...simply not a good enough friend?_

He had that same blessing once, leaving him to envy the rogue duelist. The thought of it hit him _hard._

"Yuto?" Shun stared hard at his friend, seeing that he was spacing out. "Yuto!"

"I understand your feelings completely, Shun," his friend added after a long pause, clenching his fists and trying not to let his tears fall down his face. "Sometimes, things happen beyond our control. We try hard to fight against it, but we lose many comrades, our friends, our family, so many people and relationships along the way."

"I agree to that."

"Yes...it is true that the Professor started this war through Academia, and now it's all over." Yuto closed his eyes. "I want to move on from the past, forget about everything that happened to us and our home, but...it's also impossible to forgive them for taking away so many of our _comrades."_

For a brief moment, his heart burned with anger. It was a familiar feeling he had, one that Zarc often manipulated to try to cloud his judgement and take over his mind. But Yuto still suppressed the emotion. "We...we can't let the losses get to us. For them, for your sister, for my dragon...we must stand strong and move on. And never, under any circumstance, should we seek revenge again."

Shun knew and understood his fury. He shared many of Yuto's passionate feelings.

"I don't want to start another war," he continued, trying to keep his tone calm and controlled. "You were absolutely right about that. If we tried to get revenge, that would just hurt everyone, including ourselves. But I can't stop how I feel in my heart." He looked down at his hand, before clenching it tightly into a hard fist. "The only thing I control are my actions. So long as I'm not picking a fight with anyone with Fusion, then I'm helping everyone rebuild. But if any of them try to attack us again, like that duelist did today, then I won't just stand by and take it."

Yuto nodded, not able to disagree with his friend. But still...

"That duelist today...he must be feeling exactly what we're feeling, unable to forgive the other side. He was ballistic in my battle, but...could he have lost someone precious as well?"

"If he did, he brought it upon himself," Shun huffed. "They started the war. Not us. Please just drop this now, Yuto. I'm having enough trouble keeping myself in check with Academia just walking around my home without having to pile on trying to walk in their shoes."

He turned away from his friend, bowing his head. "Plus, if Ruri was here, she would do her best to help too. We both know that. Let's honor her wishes and support the comrades we have now, Yuto...the ones who really matter. Kaito, Sayaka, Allen...they need us too."

The two stayed silent for a moment before Shun slowly walked away towards another nearby camp, one that their friends had made as a refuge against Academia. He didn't say another word, but the message was clear.

Yuto sighed, unconsciously placing a hand over his deck pocket. They had lost too many comrades in this war, and it was still unclear what the future had in store for them.

 _Ruri...Dark Rebellion...how many more must we lose?_

He shook his head. It was useless to wonder what might have been.

 _No...we must accept the things we have for now and hope for the best. The comrades and friends that need our help, that need my help, I should focus on them first. Then, perhaps when our situation is better, I'll be coming for you, Ruri, Dark Rebellion._

The long road of the future lay before Yuto and his companions for them to explore. And although he had little hope that life would ever be the same, much less happy, he knew that the best and only thing he could do now, was continue trudging on.

For _everyone._

* * *

 **Haha, this was originally gonna be a chapter that focused on the other three** **Yu-boys, but it shifted focus to Yuto alone. It has been over a YEAR since I last wrote a duel (thanks again to Donny for the help), so I'm sorry for being rusty.**

* * *

 **These are all the cards that are either made-up by one of us, by someone else, or new.**

 **Phantom Knights - Old Axe**

 **DARK**

 **Rank 4**

 **Warrior, Xyz, Effect**

 **ATK/DEF: 2300/1300**

 _3 Level 4 Monsters_

Once per turn, you can also Xyz Summon this card by using 1 "Phantom Knights" monster and 1 DARK monster with the same Level as materials. You can activate "Phantom Knights" Trap Cards from your Hand. Once her turn (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 material from this card; then move this card to a Monster Zone in the same column as a face-up "Phantom Knights" card; Special Summon from your Extra Deck or Graveyard, 1 Rank 3 or 5 DARK Xyz Monster, and if you do, take 1 card in your GY with the same name as the card you detached from this card and attach it to the Xyz Monster as material, but it cannot attack, also banish it when this card leaves the field.

 **Phantom Knights - Cursed Blade**

 **DARK**

 **Rank 3**

 **Warrior, Xyz, Effect**

 **ATK/DEF: 1900/1200**

 _2 Level 3 monsters_

Once per turn, detach 1 Xyz Material to target up to 3 banished "Phantom Knights" cards and return them to your Deck; draw 1 card. When this card declares an attack while you control another "Phantom Knights" monster; this card gains 100 ATK for every one of the banished cards. When this card is destroyed, add 1 banished "Phantom Knights" card to your hand.

 **The Phantom Knights of Cankered Cross-Guard**

 **Normal Trap**

Special Summon this card as an effect monster (Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 3/ATK 0/DEF 1500). (This card is NOT treated as a Trap Card). If summoned this way, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect once per turn.

Once per turn: If a Phantom Knight's Monster you control would be destroyed or you would take damage: You can banish this card; Negate the damage or destruction.

 **Molten Inferno Fusion**

 **Normal Spell**

Pay half your LP: Fusion Summon 2 Pyro and/or Machine-Type Fusion Monsters with different names from your Extra Deck by banishing 2 FIRE monsters from your GY that can be used as Material for both monsters. You can banish this card from your GY: Special Summon 1 Machine or Pyro-Type Fusion monster from your GY. Monsters summoned by this card's effect gain 1000 ATK.

* * *

 **Time for reviews!**

 ** _To Ulrich362: Yup, I am so happy to see how it all worked out realistically. Perhaps there is a solution, but maybe there isn't. And yes, Yuya was the cosmic plaything in the anime. He is still that here. XD And as for your idea, I do plan on revealing Zarc's past over time to Yuya, but it will be in a different way than just a dream. I'm getting that all planned out, but let's just say it involves a certain someone having C-PTSD..._**

 ** _To SchalchopWarrior: Yup. They are all suffering. Especially Leo and Ray; I try to portray them as humans, one who made a super huge mistake and the other one suffering as a result. What a downer._**

 ** _To Epsilon Tarantula: I'm still debating on whether to kill Leo off or not, to be honest. And yes, Yuya has a bit of a rocky relationship with his father now, but they still love each other._**

 ** _To KuriMaster13: YOU GOT YOUR WISH, YA HAPPY?! XDD_**

 ** _To Oblivian03: Thanks! And mmmmmmmaaaaayyyyyyybbbbbeeeeeeeee..._**

 ** _To Leafeon12: He will never catch one._**

 ** _To 4fireking: Yup._**

 ** _To Gentyman: I think he deserves to show his humanity that was obvious not shown in the anime. He had a backstory, affected by Zarc's and Ray's actions, and the anime had so much opportunity to show that. He's not a perfect human or a great father, but he does his darn best for his family. And that same drive, when it overshadows the means to attain it, can lead to devastating consequences. Same goes between Yuya and Yusho, but to a lesser extent. Yusho was selfless in his actions while Leo was selfish. Yuya understands why his father did what he had to do, but Ray doesn't because Leo gives little reason to. The chapter shows that all actions have consequences, and the end DOES NOT justify the means._**

 ** _To Venomous Blade: Awesome! I managed to read two more chapters in your story. :)  
_**

 ** _To XYZArtemis: Thank you!_**

 ** _To Ghostkid33: Thanks for the help! And yeah, this was a rather interesting chapter to read and write because of all the themes, little foreshadowing, and literary contrast of the relationships!_**

 ** _To fanfic meister: Perhaps, but this story might defer from that. And the Pendulum thing is actually a good theme for what will happen to the characters in the story._**

 ** _To Donjusticia: Thanks! I loved how it came out too! And thanks for pointing out the juxtaposition!_**

 ** _To Yuka Kuroshiro: Yup! And thanks!_**

 **And now, for the question: what will happen between the Xyz and Fusion Dimensions in the near future?**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Till next time, this is CTA out! And God is good!**


	8. There's Something More Valuable

**Whew, glad to know the last chapter went well! Here is chapter 6 (or chapter 8 as a whole), and we will spend the rest of the time going through the last two counterparts: Yugo and Yuri.**

 **The original plan (as I have probably stated before) was to have Yuto, Yugo, and Yuri in one big chapter, but then with giving Yuto the duel, it was decided to give him his own chapter. And that was actually a good change because I think it really fleshed out not only Yuto's character and his grief, but also the aftermath of the war itself between Xyz and Fusion.**

 **So in that sense, Yugo and Yuri have their own chapter here. :D Enjoy.**

 **I also decided to set a new word minimum for myself. At least 6k/7k per chapter (except the prologue). I really want to make these long, yeeee.**

 **Special thanks to _Donjusticia_ and _Ghostkid33_ for the help.**

* * *

In the Synchro Dimension there was a newfound harmony and peace in the City, a peace that filled up nearly every individual. Since the end of the Friendship Cup (and to a much greater extent, the end of the great war), a new order was established to the rich and poor citizens. Both Tops, the elite minority that lived in the rich, fancy, and extravagant parts of the City, and the Commons, those who struggled to make a living in the lower regions, were working and helping each other towards a better future.

In the past they hated each other with a fiery passion, the Tops looking down at the Commons as trash more or less, and the latter considering to the higher-ups to be nothing but pompous and self-centered tyrants. They had food, jobs, relationships, a home, many things that they couldn't afford on their own. It also didn't help that the majority of the population, over ninety percent, were Commons, that they suffered day and night to get even a scrap of bread while the small census of Tops were feasting endlessly.

And even now, even though most of the members of both classes placed aside their past animosity to help their neighbors, there were still a few that harbored malicious intentions. Most still hoped, however, that the vast majority of those prejudices would fade into the past.

Since the legendary battle with Yuya Sakaki, Jack Atlas, the former Duel King, cherished and admired by a majority of both Tops and Commons, was one of the leaders in bringing the new reform to the City. With backup from the Executive Council, he and many other pro duelists dealt away with the underground labor workforce, and many families, friends, and loved ones were reunited as a result. The Friendship Cup was soon dedicated to raising charities and opportunities for the Commons to earn a living.

Progress had been made, but more was still needed. Even with the extra money and help given by the rich population, it would take many months, even years, to undo the damage caused by the rivalry between the Tops and the Commons as well as Roget's tyranny. No one knew where he went, and his cyborg servant, Sergey, was dead.

A new dawn was on the horizon after many years of darkness. Hope was thriving for many...yet others suffered for various reasons.

In the lower regions of the Commons, amidst the abandoned warehouses and empty streets, filled with muck and trash, there was one resident who was working on a huge project in his garage. He experienced a different kind of problem, one of loss.

"Rin, could you please pass me the—?"

Yugo stopped mid-sentence, his hand held out to receive a tool from a friend who was no longer there. Cursing himself, the duelist slid out from underneath the new D-Wheel he was constructing before retrieving a crescent wrench and returning to his work.

This had been the fourth time today that he had asked for Rin's help. The fourth time that his heart broke from the overwhelming loneliness.

He began twisting a bolt into place, before cursing again when he pushed the bolt in too tight, rubbing away some of the edging on the bolt's head and scraping the inside of the wrench.

It wasn't helping him. Emotionally, at least.

Yugo had tried to keep himself busy with this project, tried to put his life back to normal after that fateful day in Academia, anything to distract him from the pain and emptiness he was feeling. But it was no use. He and Rin had built their D-Wheel together; it was their creation, their legacy as partners and friends. She meant everything to him, and he made sure to put all of his devotion and gratitude for her into that D-Wheel.

How was he supposed to put back together these broken hunks of scrap metal without her? How could he repair his own heart? It had shattered into multiple pieces, like crystal obliterated by a sledge hammer.

 _I can't do this without you, Rin. I just...can't._

Gritting his teeth, Yugo wiped off some beads of sweat from his forehead. This was getting too much, too tiring and cumbersome for the boy. He missed Rin dearly, missed her presence, her voice, her smile, her warm orange eyes, her scolding yet endearing personality...

Yugo didn't notice that he was almost crying again. He dropped the wrench into the garage floor, feeling like an absolute mess of himself. This was getting nowhere; crying wouldn't solve anything.

"Get ahold of yourself," Yugo told himself. "This isn't helping. Try to...pull through..."

He reached for a towel to wipe off his face, before his body suddenly seized up again. It was one of the towels he and Rin had won as a consolation prize in a past duel tournament.

 _Why?_

Why did everything have to remind him of _her?_

Yugo scrunched up his face again, ignoring the musty smell from the worn cloth. It was stained horribly and ratty in many places, but he could still detect faint traces of her lingering perfume on it. He took a brief whiff.

 _Rin isn't here anymore._

Carefully folding the towel and putting it back on the work bench, Yugo ran outside of the garage, hoping to get some fresh air to clear his head. Normally, he would have taken his D-Wheel, but today, jogging would have to do.

He went down on the streets at a normal pace (after closing the garage door), hoping to focus on anything but Rin. He couldn't help thinking about her, but her absence had left a deep hole in his heart. It was made worse with the heartbreaking truth that she had been kidnapped because of his lack of vigilance and the fact that he had failed to bring her back to their home.

All because he wasn't strong enough.

Yugo shook his head, suddenly finding the outside air to be very hot. Maybe he should've gone into his regular clothes instead of his white Riding Duel jumpsuit. It was suffocating.

He paused, looking back and forth between the road and the orphanage, wondering if he should stop to change, and risk moping some more, or just keep running, and risk cooking to death.

 _You really need to take better care of yourself, Yugo! You don't want to get heatstroke! Here, put on this sunblock and get a hat at least!_

That's what she would've told him.

"Yes, Rin," Yugo choked out in a hollow whisper before turning back to the orphanage, entering his room, and changing. But as he removed his riding outfit, his deck fell out of a pocket and onto the bed, his cards face-up.

All but one of them.

Yugo looked down at the cards scattered all over the floor, silently cursing to himself. This was a mess he didn't need at the moment. He mindlessly picked them up one by one, soon noticing that his beloved ace was missing from the deck.

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. The white-winged dragon who loved to soar in the skies. He still remembered its proud cry, a declaration of its power, strength and defiance against the world. Its absence from the rest of his deck was...grievous. Unthinkable.

He stiffened again. "Clear Wing..."

It was too much for him. In not too much time, he had lost two of the people who meant the most to him, his two closest friends in life, his girl and dragon.

And even worse yet was that Yugo knew he had failed them. He couldn't save Rin from that Fusion rival of his, even when he traveled all the way to Academia itself only to find out that she had been brainwashed by an old creep! And Clear Wing...that dragon had been with him through thick and thin. They did almost everything together, even going out to save her...

But in the end his dragon had left him behind too, but of his own volition. And for what?

He had promised Rin that he would save her with Clear Wing's power and he had failed both of them in the end.

Furiously wiping at his wet eyes, Yugo ripped off his riding outfit before forcing himself into his old and somewhat too small exercise clothing. Forgetting about the sunblock entirely, he slammed a sombrero over his head (another consolation prize), before running out onto the street.

He didn't care if he looked a little ridiculous at the moment. He needed to catch some air, take a break, anything to clear his thoughts of his failures. Yugo wiped his tears from his eyes, breathing in sharply.

"I...I wonder if anyone else is out." What a silly statement.

"That's...an interesting choice of wardrobe," someone commented to his right, making the boy jump.

Yugo paused, recognizing the voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Crow Hogan seated on top of Blackbird, his D-wheel. Pulling his hat lower over his red and wet face (dang, it was an extremely humid afternoon), Yugo gave a non-committal wave to Crow before continuing on with his jog.

However, the older male stopped him in his tracks. "Hey, Yugo. How are you doing out this morning?" He smiled nonchalantly, leaning back against his D-Wheel. "It's a little hot today."

"Uhm, yeah, I guess?" Yugo replied, not sounding sure of himself.

"Are you doing okay? You seem a little off," Crow replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, you know, just...going for a run," Yugo replied. "Getting some air, creating a little breeze to cool off, stuff like that."

Crow raised both eyebrows, not buying the act. He didn't know Yugo that well, but he could tell the boy had a lot on his mind, if the forlorn gaze in his eyes gave anything away. It was also unusual to see the boy in such low or quiet spirits, considering his brash personality.

Something was definitely up. But he didn't want to push too much into it.

"Alright, then, if you say so..." He turned away for a bit before his eyes widened in remembrance. "Oh, right! Almost forgot! Reiji asked me to give you this gift. Apparently, they recovered it from Academia a few days ago."

Reaching into one of his pant's pockets, Crow held out a small package to Yugo. Hesitantly, he approached the older teen before taking the package from his hands and examining it.

It felt somewhat heavy, albeit not much, leaving Yugo very curious as he pried the box lid open. _What is this?_

It was Rin's deck.

Yugo's lower lip began to tremble. _Her cards..._

"I know it's not much," Crow apologized. "But they said it would have some sentimental value, so..."

Yugo had launched himself into Crow, hugging him tightly. A few tears fell down his cheeks, leaving his face redder than before.

"Whoa there, I—!"

"Thank you." Yugo wept freely into his shoulder, not caring if he was making a huge, sloppy mess. "You don't know how much this means to me. _Thank you._ "

Crow blinked twice before slowly reciprocating the hug, patting the boy's back. Rin meant everything to Yugo, so having her deck, a piece of her returned to him, was more than enough to lift his spirits in that moment. A small smile crept onto his face, fighting back more burning tears from flowing down his face.

This gift was very thoughtful, and he appreciated it deeply. However, Yugo didn't want to voice his selfishness. He would treasure her deck every day and keep it safe..but it wasn't _her._

It wasn't _Rin._

Yugo felt more tears well in his eyes again as he stared at Rin's deck clutched in his hand. He quickly looked away from Crow before he could see them fall, not wanting the Blackwing duelist to notice. "Um...thank you."

He was hesitant to continue expressing his gratitude, mostly out of uncertainty of what else to say to Crow. But at the very least he had her deck.

Much to Yugo's relief, Crow smiled cheekily and slapped him on the back; Yugo winced slightly from the force. "No problem! It's always good to help a friend in need, and you're one of them! It's the least I can do for you."

His lighthearted joy rubbed off of Yugo slightly. Despite their small relationship, he sensed Crow to be easygoing and reliable, someone who didn't mind his company or what he had to say.

He chuckled softly. "Gee. Thanks, Crow. That means a lot to me..."

"No problem." The Blackwing duelist leaned back on his D-Wheel's seat with one arm, lowering his gaze to the ground as he contemplated over his next decision. "By the way, if you have time for today, maybe Shinji and I can come over later to help with your D-Wheel."

The boy perked up at that. "Wait, you know about that?"

"I was driving by earlier today," Crow explained. "This morning I was checking my neighborhood for any friends to help or for any enemies to apprehend, then Shinji called me for assistance here with a comrade of ours who lives in this area. I noticed you working on your D-Wheel in the garage, but you appeared busy so I wasn't sure if you wanted help."

"So that's why you're here." Yugo understood his reasons, albeit slightly. He was still processing some of Crow's words. "And...where is Shinji now?"

Crow tilted his head, gesturing to the end of the street. "He's finishing up down there for now. Should take a few more minutes before we're done. I'm just taking a little break now until Shinji comes out." Chuckling to himself, he returned to his topic with Yugo. "There's still some time left in the day, and we're both have enough energy to help...if you want us to."

"Really? You mean it?"

Crow shrugged. "Sure. For one thing, we're good with building D-Wheels." He patted his own bike, smiling wider. "I built my own right here."

Yugo thought it over for a bit. He could trust Crow, but...it just didn't feel right.

"No..." He turned the offer down, shaking his head. "It's a nice thought, but I can handle it on my own."

 _I can't finish without Rin._

Yugo didn't want to finish the bike with anyone else except her. They built their first D-Wheel together; it was their pride and joy, their legacy, their creation! Without her...it would be like betraying her role as his partner if he allowed anyone else to help.

If he worked on it all on his own, at least he could continue honoring their legacy.

But Crow had a sharp mind, quick to understand why Yugo would reject their help. "You really do miss that girl, don't you?"

Yugo winced. He wasn't expecting Crow to figure that out. "Yeah..."

"Then perhaps all the more reason for us to help," Crow replied back. "If you're feeling down, you shouldn't be alone. Let us help!"

"But—!"

Crow cut him off. "We insist. You need help, Yugo."

The boy shook his head, but then paused for a moment. He didn't want to betray Rin...

 _You should accept their help, there's no need to be so stubborn. They're our friends after all, no?_

Again, her advice, if she was here, rang through his mind. He imagined Rin standing by him, supporting him with that warm grin on her features.

 _Yugo...I know you have a strong heart and wish to work on the project alone for me, for us...but there is something else you need now. Something more than me..._

Again, as much as Yugo hated to admit it in this situation, he knew the truth. If Rin was there, it would've been a different situation, but she's not. And he couldn't continue his life sulking and worrying about what could've been; Rin wouldn't want him to live in such heaviness.

Yugo couldn't do this alone.

While pondering over the offer with the new revelation, Yugo was still unsure. Should he let Crow and his friend help? Well, technically, there were a few parts he was having trouble with...and he would get them fixed quicker if he accepted...

 _But it doesn't feel the same without Rin. We built the first one together from our hearts, our hands, our sweat, our passion. Crow and Shinji are more than able to help, but it..._

No. He needed help.

Crow noted that Yugo was still struggling to accept or think through the offer. He sighed softly. "Yugo, I understand how you feel about all this. I don't blame you for being hesitant or perhaps unwilling to ask for help after everything that happened to you and your friend in the war.

"But you're not alone in this. You don't have to be. My comrade and I are willing to help, and if the kids heard about it, they would want to be a part of it as well. If you're feeling down, we'll be there for you, but only if you let us in."

Wordlessly, Yugo nodded. Shinji joined up after a few more minutes on his D-Wheel, a little exhausted from his work helping their comrade.

Crow briefed him on his deal with Yugo, much to the friend's chagrin. Thankfully, Shinji was also willing to help for a short while after knowing of the whole situation, even though he wasn't in a good mood.

"Alright, Crow, but I'll be leaving in a couple hours to check on the kids."

"That's alright. We'll see how much progress we can get done before then." Crow turned to the yellow-and-blue-haired boy. "Let's go see that D-Wheel."

Before Yugo knew it, he found himself back in the garage with Shinji and Crow as they began repairing the bike to its former glory. Surprisingly, as Yugo threw himself into the work, his pain from earlier began to diminish.

Time passed quickly for the three of them, with the sun in the sky slowly setting towards the horizon and taking away most of its heat. Yugo worked harder on the bike alongside the other two riders, nearly throwing himself into the work and feeling a new sense of accomplishment. His thoughts on Rin diminished the more he spent time with Crow and Shinji.

Before he could look at the clock to check the time, they had already assembled most of the bike within a few short hours, and were preparing to run tests on its systems to make sure everything was working properly.

"I'm just gonna do a quick engine check," Crow called over from his computer, processing all the systems. "Three..two...one..."

He pressed a button on his computer.

Like the roar of a dragon, the bike's engine flared to life with a _vroom_. Watching with bated breath, Yugo felt the back of his neck tingle with anticipation as the other mechanical parts began humming in rhythm with each other. It was music to his ears.

The D-Whell was finally complete, ready to take to the streets again, ready to see the world and race down the highways. Yugo was proud of his work, sighing in relief while wiping some beads of sweat from his forehead.

He could already imagine the wind blowing against his face, hearing it whistle as he sped down one of the highway lanes in the City. He could also hear Clear Wing's proud roar in his mind, the dragon flying majestically beside him with its stunning glass wings gleaming in the sunlight, ready to fly in the skies again...

And then, just as quickly as the bike had come to life, it died down, and Yugo's dream came to an abrupt halt. He and Shinji stared at the vehicle, confused.

"What happened?!"

"Did you shut it off?" Shinji asked his friend, frowning.

"Well, I have now," Crow replied, examining his computer, "but the engine died earlier. Huh. I'm not sure what's wrong with it. Could we be missing a part?"

"We repaired it just like we would any other D-Wheel," Shinji protested. "It shouldn't need anything else. Maybe the parts we have are just worn out or maybe a few gears got loose."

Yugo looked at the mechanical spare parts they had left over. There were a few bolts and screws of different sizes, and all the main engineering and combustion was already set up. He rebuilt it exactly as he remembered from last time, so why didn't it work this time?

Sighing, he placed down his wrench, stretching his dirt-stained arms. "Well, we did a lot more work than I previously anticipated."

"Well, I'm sure we'll figure it out." Shinji consoled before checking his watch, his eyes widening slightly when he realized that a good portion of their time had passed. It was nearly the end of the afternoon. "I have to go see how the kids are doing and get some more food for you. I'll see you tomorrow if able."

The Blackwing duelist nodded, turning to his new friend. "I still have some time myself. Want to take another crack at it, Yugo?" Crow asked.

The boy rubbed his head clear of any sweat, smiling widely. "Sure. We made good progress as it is. It'll make sense to try at least finish it!"

Crow smirked beside him, turning to his blue-haired comrade and waving him off. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, Shinji. Tell the kids I'll be coming home later."

The man saluted them off with two fingers, soon exiting the garage to run his errands. After Shinji left and was out of earshot, the two began examining their current situation with Yugo's D-Wheel on the computer.

"I'm still not _understanding_ what went wrong," Crow mused to himself, "and I don't want to have to take the whole bike apart to figure it out."

"I still have the blueprints," Yugo continued, reaching for the papers that held the design of the original D-Wheel. "P-Perhaps this will help pinpoint the problem we're having."

Crow took the blueprints from Yugo, eyes squinting. It didn't take long for him to see where they were wrong, and he wasn't pleased.

"Wow...I don't think we did ANY of this right!" Crow exclaimed in shock. "Why didn't you show me these before? We could've completed the D-Wheel a couple hours ago and have a snack while we're at it!"

"Sorry," Yugo apologized, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin on his face. "I never actually read them...mostly because I can't. It was always..." he choked, the memories coming back, "...it was always Rin who read them. I just did what she told me."

 _She was always there for me, but I wasn't there for her. And now she is gone because I wasn't strong enough to save her..._

"That makes a lot of sense." Crow nodded understandingly, mulling over his thoughts on what to do. Looking at the blueprints, he whistled again from the realization that they still had a _lot_ of work to do. "Well, at least we figured out the big problem. Hopefully, we'll be able to fix all the major mistakes for today."

"That's better than nothing..." Yugo felt his hopes come crashing down around him. They already made one huge mistake, one that Rin would've probably noticed beforehand. So much time had been wasted, and for what? His bike was in more disrepair than before.

"Indeed." Crow shook his head. "Let's get to work."

Yugo nodded his head before picking up a wrench and going to work, pushing most of the negative thoughts to the recesses of his mind. He didn't want to think on this failure too much. "Crow, you mentioned earlier that you built your own D-Wheel. If you don't mind me asking, how _did_ you build it?"

Crow paused for a moment, giving Yugo the necessary parts as he scooted underneath the bike. "It was a long time ago, but I built it with Shinji before we got the kids. I actually let them do some of the work as well...well, decorating mostly." He chuckled mirthly from the memory of them doing the paint job.

Yugo hummed in thought. "Do you think that if your D-Wheel ever got broken or destroyed, you could rebuild it without Shinji and the kids helping you?" he asked.

Crow was unsure about that, scratching his head. "I don't know...it would be harder to fix it all by myself, especially without their guidance and encouragement. It wouldn't be impossible...but definitely more difficult."

"I see..." Yugo trailed off, launching himself back to work, but with less enthusiasm than before. He hoped that Crow was a little more different from him in that sense. Stronger and self-reliant perhaps, but...he was wrong.

 _Friends help each other out._

Yugo sighed to himself. It was going to be difficult to repair his bike without that kind of support...very difficult.

But at least, he had someone to help support him through this hard time. And for Yugo, if he had a friend, perhaps he could pull through not only for himself, but also for Rin.

 _It's what she would've wanted after all._

* * *

"This is ridiculous."

Yuri sighed to himself, almost yawning. He was completely bored out of his mind at the moment, no thanks to his current situation.

For one thing, thanks to his actions in the war, Yuri was quickly detained and removed from his position as an official of Academia. With the military school disbanding, all of the students who were less affected by the war, who felt remorse for their actions, left one by one to their families and close relatives. But a few, those who were scarred or too "willing" to continue the war, were instead sent to the city's Juvenile Detention Department for behavior reform before being returned to society. Some of their families protested against this, but it was the law.

It would be chaotic to have a few more psychopaths in the city, especially if they were juveniles.

Among the delinquents was Yuri, who was one of the first adolescents sent there due to his records. Since his separation from Zarc, he was sent back to the Fusion Dimension and handled underneath the care of the officials there. And unlike many of the others, he had no family or relatives for outside support, leaving him all on his own.

Months of "good behavior" in Academia's psyche wards had given him probation. His meeting with the Lancers was requested by the Akabas beforehand, so the officials gave the young boy their permission under certain restrictments. Not that he cared.

 _The meeting was pretty dull anyway...except for Fusion. He made it a little entertaining._

Yuri, however, didn't see the difference between his current situation and actual imprisonment. In prison, he would have been locked up and died of boredom, but at least it was somewhat appropriate. With probation, Yuri could pretend that he was free as a lark and happy as a clam, while still ultimately dying of boredom from inside.

He preferred jail over this. At least he could have a little _fun_ there.

It didn't help that Yuri also was without his duel disk. The authorities made sure of that, explaining to him that they "didn't want any unnecessary accidents with the other detainees." Of course, Yuri took personal offense of it. Who were they to suggest that any of the incidents he caused were "unnecessary?" Still, Yuri took the abuse, concealing his true intentions underneath a fake smile that still sent chills down anyone's spine.

Now he couldn't do anything with his boredom, such as trolling the other juveniles. All that was left was walking around, "following" the rules, and overall being reformed into a "good boy."

Yuri nearly gagged as a result. It wasn't only boring, but he felt insulted for being left in such a demeaning place. At least in prison he was alone with his thoughts to keep him company, or perhaps stuck with other individuals who shared ideals similar to his own. But here he was forced against his will to tolerate a bunch of pompous goody-two-shoes.

Not that he could do much without Starve Venom anyway.

Yuri examined his deck, his brow furrowed. He was allowed to keep it, but not wield an actual duel disk, meaning that if he dueled, he could only do so with lifeless cards now. But of course, a "psychopath" like him didn't deserve to have fun.

He scowled at the various plant monsters in his deck. They were strong, yes, but excellent? No. Starve Venom was the true embodiment of their power and greed. Without him, he was empty inside, like a lifeless shell.

He couldn't hunt without Starve Venom. Not without that dragon...

 _How did life become so hollow?_

Yuri hated the feeling. He hated not having anything to do, just going by day after day...existing. There were no fights, no challenges, no screams, just a dull routine in a detention center that he was forced to obey and serve.

Many of his former classmates were also in the faculty, and they all remembered the duelist. Yuri was fully aware of their side glances, scowls, hushed whispers, stares, everything that was directed to him. Even Edo himself made sure to keep the young duelist and his "psychopathic tendencies" under control by placing him under multiple restrictions (hence why he didn't have his duel disk in the first place).

 _That guy isn't even here, and yet he still does this._

It disgusted him. But the idea that they were still _afraid_ of him to such a degree left his heart a little happier. Yuri reveled in their fear, passing what little time he had in making his prey squirm.

After all, he was once a highly-esteemed duelist in Academia.

 _He_ was the Professor's right hand man, _the_ strongest duelist in _any_ dimension. And yet they placed him here, in this trash dump along with weaker individuals? Him, a high and mighty predator, respected and feared by everyone in Academia, and by extension the Xyz and Synchro Dimensions, grouped with a bunch of weak-minded, pathetic _fools?!_

Yuri scoffed. If anything, he should've carded them all when he had the chance. This was beyond insulting; it was absolutely _degrading_ of him.

Involuntarily, Yuri's lips quivered into a smile as he thought of the hunts he and Starve Venom had participated in. Plenty of his prey had been quite unimpressive, but others...

He licked his lips, thinking of Ruri, Rin, Yuzu, and Yugo. Now _those_ hunts had been thrilling! He had felt alive when he had hunted them. His blood raced against his veins like fire, fueling his desire to play with his opponents like a cat toying with a mouse, to see them squirm underneath his power. He had them in their corners, trapped like the helpless prey they were.

Yuri _loved_ it. That sadistic excitement was something he craved. To him it gave his very existence a meaning, a purpose, a desire.

 _What I would GIVE to experience that energy again, that wonderful feeling of power in the hunt..._

But no. NO, no, no...he had to be a "good boy." He had to pretend that the one thing that had given him enjoyment was completely evil and reprehensible.

Yuri stared at a gigantic spider web affixed to a bush in front of him. In its center was a fat black-and-red black widow.

"Bad girl," he whispered to the spider, wagging his fingers at her. "Munch on leaves like the normal insects. You're not supposed to eat _them."_

He snorted at his own wit, his thoughts drifting to Starve Venom. _He_ had understood how the world was, how it worked. He and Yuri were not like the normal insects, the numbed individuals who walked day by day without a care in the world.

They were the apex predators, best of the best, the top of the food chain! They _needed_ to hunt! They thrived in the glory of it!

Could he be a predator now?

Yuri certainly didn't feel like it.

No. Now he was a zoo animal. He had been defeated by the very people he had once hunted and now he was to spend the rest of his life in a cage called "society." It irritated him to no end, but what was he supposed to do?

Yuri, again, had lost.

Feeling irritated, he began pacing in his room again, back and forth, back and forth, like a lion in too small a cage.

He didn't belong here. He shouldn't be here. Not in this little prison, disguised as a rehabilitation center to convert predators into lowly leaf-munching cattle like the rest of humanity.

 _I won't be fooled, not by them. They will all pay for trying to tame me and my desires._

Yuri's eyes narrowed at the thought. If Starve Venom were here, he would show everyone his power. They would all plead for mercy, anything to save their own worthless lives from his teeth. They would be groveling at his feet like the lowly scum they were, but no.

He had to cater to _them._

He had to suppress his own instincts.

 _I will get my sweet revenge. Just you wash your neck and wait, fools._

A detention officer approached him, snapping the boy out of his disturbing thoughts. Yuri recognized it to be Mamoru Noro, the former Deputy Commander for the Arc-V Project in Heartland City. Now he was demoted just like the boy, albeit still his "superior."

Although, truth be told, Noro wasn't well liked by everyone in the institution. Least of all, Yuri.

"Sir," the boy dully acknowledged, making sure to appear as a polite good soul. The bored look in his eyes indicated otherwise, one that Noro caught.

"You're wanted at the front desk, Yuri," the man told him, not wasting a second with niceties while bringing out a clock from his chest pocket. He knew the young duelist as well, despising him like everyone else due to his past actions and status. "And please don't dawdle or loiter on your way there; they've requested for your _immediate_ presence. Waste even a single second, and there will be consequences!"

 _Wow, what a control freak._ Yuri thought. _But front desk?_ _What could it be now? I haven't destroyed or hurt anything in months, so why would they...?_

"Oh," Yuri said out loud. He realized what that meant. There was only one main reason why a delinquent like him would be called there.

He was meeting his "adopted family" today.

"Make sure to look presentable, young man," the former Academia officer warned in a shrill tone, which was the most aggravating sound to Yuri. "And don't try anything cute...or dangerous!"

"That would be difficult, considering how unbelievably adorable I am, _Noroma-chan,"_ Yuri nonchalantly quipped in return, walking away before the officer could think to reprimand him.

"HEY, IT'S NORO! ADDRESS ME WITH PROPER RESPECT, YOUNG MAN!"

 _Whatever you say, your highness._

A sly smirk crossed the boy's face as he made his way to the front desk, ignoring the flustered officer behind him. If Yuri wanted to, he could mess with Noro a little more, but his mind was focused on other things.

He personally didn't know what to think of the idea of being adopted.

At first, Yuri detested the thought of it. He barely tolerated being under the authority of the Professor, and would much rather prefer being alone with his dragon. Starve Venom was the only person he trusted, and he wasn't even human. Yet he understood Yuri more than anyone else, respected the boy as an individual and predator like himself, and knew he shared the same bloodlust.

They were partners, respecting each other in that sense. Yuri would let his dragon rampage freely on the field, unleash all of its anger and greed for violence against their opponents. Seeing his monster take them out also satisfied his own instincts.

The duelist didn't want—no, _need_ anyone else when he had his trustworthy dragon. But, of course, Starve Venom wasn't with him now, not when he betrayed him for such a pathetic demon who lost _twice_ to the same girl. Now Yuri had to suffer living in the hands of some sickly old couple or something, and probably keep up his act that he was "behaved."

Still, the novelty of the experience might be worth it. Heck, perhaps his hunch about all this was wrong; maybe the people coming to adopt him would be genuinely entertaining.

 _Maybe I can play a little game with them._ Yuri licked his lips.

His eyes narrowed in disappointment when he say the couple standing at the front desk. One was a kindly woman with glasses he had never met before, but the other, a tall bald-headed man in a red suit, was someone he knew all too well.

"Chancellor Shepherd," Yuri droned, his eyes half-lidded.

"Yuri," the former Academia professor grunted in reply, narrowing his gaze at the young man.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you!" the woman gushed to break the tension, offering Yuri a bag. "I brought some sweets from the shop, would you like some?"

"No, thank you," Yuri huffed, sounding disgruntled. "I believe I'm a little allergic to sweet things. They don't seem to settle well with my...constitution."

Yuri detested this couple with every bone in his body; everything about them was wrong. This was _not_ going to be fun. Not in the _slightest._

 _I prefer staying here now, thank you._

For one thing, Yuri knew Chancellor. He was the former leader of Academia before Leo came around a few years prior. Unlike the elder Akaba however, Chancellor had no intentions to use the base as a military power, but rather as a place to learn and develop Fusion Summoning. Academia was, in lack of a better word, a regular school.

Of course, Leo made sure to change that.

 _What an old fool, thinking he could change anything._ Yuri and most of the other students had little memory of Chancellor Shepard thanks to Leo's ideals that took over the school for over three years. If anything, they were most likely brainwashed, but not him. Yuri knew enough about the old man, and if there was one thing he hated more than losing...

It was pacifists. And Chancellor was the most blatant idealist of them all.

 _Even the name makes me sick. Chancellor... And THIS will be my new father?_ Yuri crossed his arms. _I'm sooooo lucky._

The front desk called Chancellor briefly to sign the adoption papers and release forms, leaving Yuri behind with the woman for a brief chat. He couldn't help but notice how...chubby she was.

"Anyway..." Yuri continued in a slightly slurred tone, trying to keep things from becoming too awkward and silent, "...what brings you to this facility and who bribed you to take me? Was it Leo himself? Edo? _Noroma-chan?"_ He smirked to himself from the last name.

"Bribe?" the woman asked, genuinely confused. "I don't know about that, but, well, I heard about your story, Yuri, and I was just so sorry to hear about how you had been treated."

"Treated?" Yuri asked, his curiosity piqued. Come to think of it, what kinds of stories were told in society about Academia and its occupants?

"Oh yes." The woman nodded, eyes wide. "I understand that you don't want to talk about it. It must have been so horrible, what the Professor did to you all those years. Those poor souls, forced to fight for a war that shouldn't have even happened in the first place...but it's okay. I want to give you what Academia never did: a normal childhood for you to cherish."

This was just perfect. Not only did this woman see him as a "broken" victim, but, like a saint, she was coming along to "fix" him. Yuri resisted the urge to laugh, widening his coy smirk instead. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage and have a little fun after all.

"Oh, really?" He raised an eyebrow in mock contempt, his eyes slitting slightly.

"Yes. I am Mrs. Dorothy," the woman continued, stretching out her hand for Yuri to take as a greeting. "Though, you can just call me Dorothy or Dora. I am very happy to meet you, Yuri. I think we will grow to be very good friends."

Yuri looked at her hand for a moment, unsure for a brief moment. He contemplated on whether he should reject the handshake or perhaps continue his "good boy" attitude.

She seemed sweet. _Sickeningly_ sweet.

However, Sheppard was eyeing him, not seeming to have the same level of trust as his...girlfriend?

Yuri took her hand, plastering on a smile which he thought was convincing, but which must have looked horrific as Dorothy's eyes widened in shock and Sheppard visibly tensed. A shiver went up their spines from how inhumanely wide it was.

"It's a _pleasure_ to meet you both." He nearly gagged when feeling her hand, which was extremely warm and...squishy, suppressing the reflex in his throat. "I hope we have a wonderful time together from now on."

The woman smiled nervously back at him, feeling Yuri's hand tighten threateningly around her own, with his thumb slowly massaging over her knuckles in a creepy manner. Even his eyes carried a predatory gleam, eying her as if she was his next meal. "Um...yes. Us too."

Yuri's closed his eyes, appearing blithe. "Great, then! I guess this means you'll be my new...mother..." He spat the word with distaste. "Now."

He could play his game with them, continue the act as a well-behaved son. It would be interesting to see how they would react when he unleashed his true colors later.

Dorothy breathed a sigh of relief when Yuri finally dropped his hand, hiding it back in his pocket. Sheppard stepped forward, standing protectively in front of Dorothy and giving her a little distance away from Yuri.

Said boy raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?" His mischievous leer widened to unnerve the man even more. "Scared or something?"

"N-no!" Sheppard sweated a bit. "It's nothing, just taking care of some...papers."

Yuri smirked knowingly. "Are you sure? You look quite nervous, Chancellor." He used his former title for a moment, making the man stiffen out of fear.

He glared at Yuri, having had enough of his creepy demeanor. "It's nothing of your concern, Yuri. Just come nicely with us so we can get the adoption over with."

Shrugging his shoulders without a care in the world, the boy walked over towards his new guardians, keeping up the fake smile and cheery attitude. "If you insist, then. I'm eager to learn more about this new life of mine anyway, _father_..."

 _And perhaps have a little fun too._

* * *

 **That's it. Yep. XD Well, we had to punish Yuri too in some way, although since he is still a juvenile, it had to be a "lighter" punishment. Heck, I feel bad for all of them.**

 **And for people who remember Noro from the Xyz Dimension arc, Yuri's nickname of him (Noroma-chan) means "blockhead." XD**

 **ALSO, A PARODY SCENE THANKS TO DONNY!**

* * *

 _"Oh! Dang it! I almost forgot again!" Crow apologized, smacking himself in the forehead. "Reiji also told me to give you this."_

 _He held up Rin._

 _"Did you have to cover me up in wrapping paper and put a bow on my head?" Rin complained._

 _Crow shrugged._

 _Yugo, meanwhile, went completely insane._

 _"RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!" he screamed, charging at her like Crystal Wing going for the killing blow._

 _And thus, all of Yugo's problems were solved. Well...most of them._

 _"GET OFF ME, BAKA!" Rin screamed, kneeing Yugo in the gut._

* * *

 **Anyway, time for reviews!**

 ** _To Ulrich362: I REALLY like your analysis on the chapters, because you really described it all really nicely. And as for the two endings, I honestly really like the idea of Zarc and the other counterparts becoming one big crazy family. XD_**

 ** _To Leafeon12: They're both handling it hard. And thanks!_**

 ** _To KuriMaster13: I fixed all of the mistakes, so yay! And thank you!_**

 ** _To Epsilon Tarantula: I'll get to Omen whenever I can. I usually struggle with reading other_** ** _headcanons now that I'm writing this. And don't worry, I'm gonna try to resolve a lot of things that Arc-V sorta messed up with. At least, to the best of my ability._**

 ** _To neostardustdragon101: Nice. :) And poor Leo._**

 ** _To 4fireking: Yep._**

 ** _To ChaosPulsar (both reviews): Yup, Shun and Leo are great. XDDDDDDDDDD And as for Yuya and Yusho, they're a really good family dynamic that I loved to explore._**

 ** _To SchalchopWarrior: Card game anime = card game eventually. And yeah, I didn't really think of a name for the traitor. I really wanted to use them to flesh Yuto out a lot more._**

 ** _To Oblivian03: Yuto's deck is awesome. I myself use a Bujins deck in Duel Links, so I can attest that Graveyard effects are AWESOME._**

 ** _To Donjusticia: THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK. FRIEND! I'm so happy for your help, and this review really helped a lot. I hope to explore more of this plot._**

 ** _To Cho Yugo: OOF, thank you! And yeah, I wanted to give Yuto his own chapter. It was a good choice._**

 ** _To Ghostkid33: Thanks for your help too! And I need to remember to add in Roget sometime, or at least give him and Barrett a more reasonable ending. And yeah, Leo's ideals really messed up a lot of people. And poor, POOR Yuto._**

 ** _To ThePLOThand (Both reviews): Thanks. Also, I listened to some of the songs, but it doesn't exactly fit the mood...per say._**

 ** _To fanfic meister: Yep. And this is only the beginning..._**

 ** _To Hiroasu Akika: WELCOME BACK, FRIEND! And thanks!_**

 ** _To Yuka Kuroshiro: Thanks!_**

 **And that is it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Here is the chapter's question: What will most likely happen to the Synchro and Fusion Dimension in the near future?**

 **Till next time, this is CTA out! And God is good!**


	9. From Bad to Worse

**Howdy! Sorry for the long wait, I have just started college and went through a whole semester. It took up most of my time and so here we are in 2019! But I managed to do a good portion of editing on past chapters AND work on this one with _Donjusticia_! Since he is rarely available and _Ghostkid33_ and I are mostly RPing for new ideas, I am looking for someone who has the time, writing skills, and love for Arc-V as a collaborator/beta reader for WDF. _Swift4Sweeper_ and _Above The Winter Moonlight_ have also been big help, but again, it's hard to find someone with a keen eye who is available (and doesn't mind reading this stuff).**

 **Feel free to PM me if you want to help. :D**

 **And again, I can't express this enough. XD Please go back and reread the chapters if you can; I have added a lot more to the extended prologue and whatnot that will be somewhat relevant to the universe and perhaps even future reveals. You won't regret it! :DD**

 **Anyway, here is the next chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

It was the most high-profile tribunal in the history of any universe. It filled the universe. No matter where anyone went, newspapers, tabloids, television, internet, every page of every article, every word of every discussion, was filled with talk of the tribunal case of the inter-dimensional war criminal and genocidal terrorist, Leo Akaba.

Since the defection of Academia, he had been branded by these titles and hated by almost every man, woman, and child among the four dimensions. And with good reason too. All one had to do was view just one of the war videos of the Xyz Dimension's devastation, or hear one of the tearful testimonials of Leo's millions of victims and that person would know exactly that letting him walk around free in the world was too _good_ for one of the greatest real-life villains in all of history.

He didn't deserve a normal life anymore. Such a luxury was prohibited to dirty criminals such as him.

They didn't bother asking him of his motives or give him a chance to speak for himself. Others compared him to Hitler, Stalin, or even _Zarc_ , calling him a hypocrite for thinking he was any better than the world-destroying demon.

Not that Leo really _did_ try to defend himself in the trial. Even as he sat before the five judges representing each of the dimensions, with one additional judge from the Fusion world to serve as a tie-breaker, even as the hundreds of thousands of people on the jury loudly booed and cursed his name, even as mothers and fathers from Xyz gave tearful testimonies while demanding that Leo look at them and their children and call them by their names, Leo remained impassive like a stone. According to the analysts commenting on the tribunal, this was a clear sign of Leo's psychopathy.

He tuned out the angered cries of the people around him, keeping his hands folded and posture straight. The lack of any emotion on his face, when any normal individual would've cracked under such a sheer amount of hate and pressure, only made some of the audience angrier. But the sound of the gavels banging on the wood, followed by the baliff's voice through the microphone, was enough to silence the crowd.

"All rise!" Seats shuffled back slightly as the audience and jury stood up to show respect. The bailiff, clearing his throat, waited for the judges to reach their seats before continuing. "Court is now in session. The Honorable Judges of the Four Dimensions now presiding."

"Be seated," one of the judges, a resident of the Xyz Dimension, called out to the crowd. With a nod of his head, everyone returned to their seats with anticipation. The head judge looked over the trial case being made before them, raising an eyebrow. As a citizen of the Pendulum Dimension, speciifically Miami City, he wasn't expecting to judge a case as broad and atrocious as this, but was more surprised that the culprit was the former CEO of Leo Corporation and LDS himself.

"The trial is a criminal case hearing of Leo Reginald Akaba, who has been charged by the people of the four dimensions with acts of war crimes, genocide, and inter-dimensional terrorism." More boos and jeers at the culprit followed afterwards. "Calling the case of the people and victims of the Four Dimensions versus Leo. Are both sides ready?"

Leo hardened his brow slightly, but kept his composure. His family, despite hearing his request to not provide him with an attorney, decided to be merciful enough to call up a representative for the defense. The prosecution and defense both made opening statements and presented their cases under oath, but he knew it wouldn't matter much. His secret desire in this trial was for the judges to provide him perhaps a slightly relieving sentence, whether it be immediate death or perhaps jail with parole.

But the prosecution's opening statement was extensive and excruciating to hear, listing all of his crimes one by one. He made a strong and convincing opening that left stomachs churning; if the people were unsure or suspicious of how heinous his actions were up to his point, there was no doubt left in their minds now.

Leo knew he didn't stand a chance. Even Ray, out of loyalty and love for her father despite knowing his actions were heinous by nature, was present with the rest of his family at the trial. The heartache of seeing his lone daughter's sorrow and disappointment amidst the waves of the angered people was too much for his old heart to bear.

He deserved this. This was the end of his legacy.

"Leo Akaba, what do you plead?"

"I plead guil—!"

"My client pleads not guilty by reason of insanity."

Leo turned to look at his lawyer, well, the lawyer his family had assigned to him, feeling resentment. It was an absurd thing to be experiencing, given the circumstance, yet he did not enjoy the charade. He knew what he had done and what he deserved. Calling him, a genius who had orchestrated an entire inter-dimensional war, a mere madman was not only insulting to himself, but everyone listening to the trial. Nobody would believe the defense attourney's claim. Why not just get this all over with and let him burn in Hell?

He glanced over at his wife, who was sitting in her chair, hands folded on her lap, looking tense. Should he at least TRY to defend himself for her sake?

Probably best not to say anything. Let the play unfold as everyone wanted it to. There would be a weak plea of insanity from his side to give this Tribunal the sense of justice it deserved before lawyers from the prosecution swiftly and deftly cut whatever arguments his attorney had prepared to the ground.

But the defense had a plan, even if they knew he was doomed. Whether or not they could manage to execute it would determine his final sentence. When the opening statements had finished and both sides swearing under oath to be honest in the trial, the prosecution took up the case.

The attorney called up three witnesses for their side. The first, a victim of the Xyz Dimension genocide, testified the incidents of the war against the man. The prosecution went to the heart of the issue, taking every opportunity to describe the insufferable harm that Academia left behind in the citizens of the Xyz world.

"Billions of innocent people suffering a fate as horrible as death!" The prosecutor passionately declared, "Even infants were not spared! Coordinating all of these heinous genocidal acts was a carefully laid plan to systematically dismantle an entire planet's communication, infrastructure, government, and population! Such a complex campaign at an inter-dimensional scale had never been carried out in all of human history! And who was it who orchestrated this complex and horrific scheme? He stands before you there, coldly calculating as his defense attempts to deflect his culpability with a plea of insanity! But what madman, incapable of distinguishing reality from fiction, could orchestrate such a calculated act of evil?"

The description of war remained fresh in everyone's minds, including Leo's. He struggled not to flinch from that harsh statement, knowing that everything the prosecution said was true. Even Hitler, who also attempted to commit genocide against a race, didn't go to such lengths of world extermination as him.

And for what? Because he believed a lie that it would all be better to live in their old world, that these dimensions were mere only fabrications, illusions, to his home.

In a way, perhaps he was mad. Mad enough to destroy everything just to achieve a worthless pipe dream, to somehow believe that the end would justify the means.

In the jury booth, the jurors exchanged various comments to the prosector's examination. There was enough from the first witness' testimony alone to persuade their minds that the man was beyond a shadow of a doubt guilty of all charges and deserved a very severe punishment, but the defense had yet to make their case.

Speaking of which, the man stood from his chair. "Objection, Your Honor. I have evidence to prove my client's actions were justified."

The prosecutor opened his mouth to protest, but the judge interrupted. "You may speak."

The defense attorney cleared his throat, going before the witnesses for cross-examination. He asked them a few inquiries here and there that validated their claims, but questioned whether or not such actions made by Leo would be considered sane if the man knew the consequences.

After the last witness had finished their testimony, the defense returned to his table and picked up a folder. "In addition, I also have a copy of my client's plans about the utopia as well as a testimonial stating why he conducted it."

The bailiff stepped forward and retrieved said documents, bringing them forth to the five judges. Each one took a moment to skim over the information in Leo's written testimony and in the blueprints of his Revival Zero plan. More murmurs were exchanged between the jurors; they were unsure how to counter the defense's rebuttal.

"No normal person would have a mind to conduct the plans he had, or go through with them with absolute certainty for the goal to achieve utopia," the lawyer addressed the court. "Achieving utopia through war and genocide is sheer madness."

At hearing that, Leo resisted the urge to sigh in his seat. He, of course, actually knew the real reason why he wanted a utopia...and it just wasn't to stop Zarc...

His eyes drifted over to his daughter sitting in the jury.

She was looking down at her lap, her hands folded. Leo knew she couldn't look him in the eye at the moment, since it would trigger a flood of memories of his actions. But Ray was suffering hard from this case, the hearing, the trial, the truth getting out about their family. There was a possibility that his daughter could wrongfully be blamed for his actions if his reasoning ever came to light.

Leo hoped more than anything else in the world that she wouldn't have to suffer because of his actions.

 _All I wanted was to bring her back,_ he wanted to explain. _I just wanted to give my daughter a second chance to live, but not suffer from my mistakes._

Leo stayed silent, however, as the trial went on. He tuned out for most of the examinations and witnesses' claims up until he was called to the stand by the prosecution. The moment of truth. Everything ends here.

The former Academia ruler took a moment to breathe a few times before taking his seat at the with stand. He faced the entire courtroom will his same neutral expression.

The prosecutor cleared his throat as he looked him in the eye, a stern frown crossing his features. "Mr. Akaba, do you swear to tell the entire truth in your testimony?"

Leo kept his right hand raised. "I swear."

He took the witness seat, leaving the prosecutor to begin the questions.

"Well, then"—his eyes were cold and sharp towards the defendant—"I suppose that means you can answer the first question." Leo remained resolute, trying not to show even an ounce of fear in his eyes. "What motive did you have for destroying the Xyz Dimension and, eventually, the other dimensions?"

Leo stayed silent for a moment before deciding to answer. He picked his words carefully. "My motive was to bring back the world and life before the four dimensions," he started. "I had my memories of the Original Dimension, of Zarc, of my life and family, and of my daughter."

In the jury booth, Ray flinched at the last sentence. She knew her father started the whole war because of her, which would definitely start up a riot if people interpreted the motive incorrectly.

This was a fact the prosecution and everyone else caught up on. "Your daughter?"

Again, the former ruler stayed silent for a moment before answering, "Yes. I started the war to revive my daughter."

The prosecution used this as a moment of epiphany. "Who is your daughter?"

For the first time since the start of the tribunal, Leo hesitated. He was sworn under oath not to lie, nor can he dismiss the question, but there was no way he wanted to involve Ray into this trial. Even if she was the focus of the plan, as a father he feared the consequences of revealing her identity.

The main judge took his silence as a form of contempt. "The prosecution has asked a question, Mr. Akaba. Please provide an answer."

Finally, after another minute, Leo sighed. "Ray Grace Akaba." The mentioned woman looked up from hearing her name, her wide eyes focused on her father.

"And why would starting a war and committing mass genocide to the other dimensions help your daughter or the old world?" the prosecution continued. "What was the full extent of your plan and reasoning behind it?"

Leo sighed, his shoulders slouching in defeat. "I did it because...I wanted my old life back. I wanted to revive Ray and the Original Dimension so I could be at peace again, so everyone who survived Zarc's onslaught in the Original Dimension can have an opportunity to restart their lives and rebuild what they lost."

"How did you plan to use the war to revive your past? What are the major details or actions needed to do so?"

Leo took in a deep breath. The idea would sound crazy to everyone, but what he revealed was all true. "I needed enough life energy from civilians to power up the Arc-Area Project, which required mass amounts to fuse the four worlds into one. But for Ray alone, I needed to find her four counterparts, which resided in each of the four dimensions."

"What was the purpose of Academia?"

"The purpose was to create soldiers who would carry out the plan under the ideal that they were making a utopia." Leo averted his gaze, feeling the shame build in his heart from the memory of the children who were brainwashed by his plan. "They were to collect enough life energy to fuel the Arc-Area Project, to find Ray's counterparts and bring them to me, and to kill Zarc's counterparts if they were ever discovered."

"Interesting. Yet there is a report of one of your soldiers, a fifteen-year-old boy named Yuri, who claimed to be one of Zarc's counterparts and eventually rebelled against your authority." The lawyer furrowed his brow. "Explain his status in your plan."

Leo shuddered from the thought of Yuri. "I had to keep a close eye on him. He was an enemy through his connection with Zarc, but I figured he could be necessary to helping me for a short while."

"Did Zarc revive?"

"Yes, despite what I did to stop him."

"So in summary, you used a dueling school, turned it into an impenetrable military fortress and assumed control as The Professor, brainwashed children into young soldiers with your ideology, ended thousands, even millions of lives in the Xyz Dimension, planned to destroy thousands more and bring the same fate to the other dimensions, all to activate the Arc-Area Project, which would stop Zarc, revive Ray, and revive the Original Dimension?" The attorney raised an eyebrow.

Without giving the question a second thought, Leo answered without hesitation, "Yes."

"Despite knowing the consequences if you were to succeed or fail?"

"I didn't think I would've failed in my plan, and the consequences meant little to me." Leo immediately regretted those words, since he knew what his actions had done. Being branded as a criminal, doing this trial, everyone cursing his name, it wasn't what he imagined the end result to be. And the thing was...he _did_ succeed for the most part. Ray was revived, Zarc was (somewhat) stopped, and the worlds were almost one again.

He was public enemy number one after this trial, and nothing will ever change that.

"No further questions." The attorney turned his back and left him alone on the witness stand, allowing the defense to make the cross-examination. People were screaming in the background for his head, despite the judges banging their gavels to calm them down.

"Order in the court. Order in the court!"

"Audience, please refrain from speaking!"

"Witness now open to cross-examination," the Fusion judge affirmed, waiting for everyone to quiet down for now. "You may approach the witness stand, defense."

Leo turned to his lawyer, who stood before him. The former Professor resisted the urge to scowl, finding the whole case about him being insane nothing more than mere tomfoolery.

"Why did you want to bring back your daughter or home world?"

"Ray means the whole world to me," the old man replied. "So did the Original Dimension and its beauty. I couldn't let go of the past."

"In conclusion, you caused the death of millions just to bring back a reality that no longer exists?"

The prosecution stood up. "Objection, your Honor. The defense has made a leading question to draw a particular response from the defendant for their case."

"Objection sustained for leading question." The head judge banged the gavel to affirm the action, turning to Leo's lawyer. "Rephrase your question and continue with cross-examination, defense."

"Explain why you couldn't let go of the past."

"This world and the others...were only mere illusions, copies of my true home," Leo started. "I couldn't accept that this was reality, or that the past could just easily be forgotten and cast away. I did what I did...only to bring back what I considered perfection, what was truly my home and family."

"Your plans mentioned about stopping Zarc." The defense raised an eyebrow at him. "What would his defeat signify?"

No matter how many times Leo heard the demon's name, he would never get over his dark hatred or anger for him. Clenching his fists till the knuckles turned ghostly white, the man barely restrained a low growl in his throat. "He destroyed the old world, and vowed to resurrect again after Ray defeated him. I knew that by bringing the worlds together, there was a risk of having him return, which would spell disaster on my plans. If he were defeated, there would've no major threat left to see them to fruition."

"Very well, no further questions for cross-examination."

"You may step down from the witness stand, Leo." The Xyz judge casted a low-lidded glare at the man, although he didn't wince. After he made it back to his seat, the two sides continued with closing statements to convince the jury.

After the five judges banged their gavels to end the arrangement, the bailiff once again stepped forward. "All rise!" The congregation stood from their seats, their hearts racing in anticipation of the eventual close. The judge turned to the defense as the trial reached to its climax. "Are you prepared to bring your closing statements?"

"We are, your Honor."

"Alright, you may begin."

The defense cleared his throat before he began. "Your Honor, members of the jury and congregation, you have heard today how Leo, who even though had conducted heinous acts against the dimensions, did so in hopes of achieving a madness and even believing that this city, our world, our home, the dimensions, everything in this reality, is nothing more than mere illusions. Geniuses can be driven mad with power, plot out their plans with precision to the final detail, and fail miserably. Leo is no exception. Ladies and gentleman, the defense rests their case with this man, who still may live under that illusion and deserves mental help, not eternal condemnation."

The Synchro judge then looked at the prosecutor. "Prosecution, what are your remarks?"

Said attorney stood after the defense declared rest and took his seat. "Madness? Leo Akaba has no _excuse_ for his actions against the Xyz Dimension and the others. He is a war criminal who planned out this war from the start, and millions of people suffered as a result. His apathy to his own actions proves he is not mad, but cruel and harsh, a psychopath. He knew that what he was doing was wrong, but didn't care about the consequences. That is not a sign of madness or insanity, only pure, plotted _evil_ in the hands of a murderer. The prosecution believes he deserves what should be given to him justly."

"Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes the evidence and witnesses that needed to be heard in this case," the judge addressed, turning his attention to the jury and audience. "We have come to the deliberations from the jury. You have heard from both sides whether or not Leo is guilty under motive, and the extensive weight of his crimes.

"I may remind of a few key points in this case: first, that Leo had plotted to start the war despite knowing of the consequences, but disregarded them in high hopes of the end justifying the means. Second, his actions in war were unlawful and harmful to many innocent civilians who had no part or knowledge of the war. Third, he had a simple goal for the war, that by attacking the other dimensions, it would revive the past and stop an old enemy of ours. Based on these facts, the jury may retire to the Jury Room for deliberations. Return when you have reached a unanimous verdict."

The jury panel stood up from their seats to retreat, leaving the court adjourned until their return. Leo glanced at his family again, seeing the reactions of each of the members. His wife was barely holding back tears, being more emotional and sorrowful throughout her husband's trial. Reiji was impassive as usual, but his eyes were empty, reflecting the hollow feeling in his heart. He knew that after today, his strained relationship with his father wouldn't change much, but there would be no more opportunities to fix it. As for Ray...

 _Ray._

She didn't meet his gaze. Her hands were folded on her lap, eyes closed, her features scrunched as tears threatened to flow down like a river. Her emotions were in constant turmoil, anger and horror, sadness and pity, grief, pain, all wrestled with one another in her heart. It was physically aching in pain as a result, making her wince.

Doctors described that heartbreak could be a real physical condition. If so, Ray felt the full effects of it for her father. And it was affecting him too...

Leo had to turn away, unable to face them. By then, the jury had returned and filled up their seats in the panel. The leading foreperson stepped forward as their representative, clearing his throat. The audience immediately went silent.

The head judge fixed his glasses. "Have you reached a verdict?"

"We have, Your Honor." He handed the judge the jury report, returning to his seat afterwards in eager anticipation with everyone else. After a careful look-over of the final details and verdict, he knew Leo's fate was sealed.

"Members of the jury, please hear your verdict," he proclaimed. "You have found the defendant guilty, so say you all. Please stand to confirm your verdict."

Leo blanched slightly when the jury all stood from their seats unanimously. There was no doubt lingering in any of their minds, with some even glaring at him. He had been founded in the wrong, knowing it was all over from this point onward. Although, it wasn't like he had much of a chance in the first place, especially with his defense's plea.

 _I'm not insane._

"Due to the evidence presented of the amount of destruction and terrorism caused in the Xyz, Synchro, and Pendulum Dimensions, and being held accountable for the lives of the Xyz and Pendulum Dimensions, I hereby decreed Leo Akaba guilty of all charges against him." The head judge banged his gavel onto the board. "A sentencing hearing will be heard now. Prosecution, do you have a submission of the appropriate sentence?"

The attorney cleared his throat, turning to the defendant. "We believe that Leo Akaba, based on the record of his crimes and meticulous plan, should be rightfully executed by hanging in the capital punishment institute in Miami City."

Leo gulped. At least death would be a merciful end after all he did. Eye for an eye, life for a life.

The broken man casted one last glance at his daughter, his heart heavy with sorrow. He knew she would likely be suffering from guilt or worse with the knowledge of his current state. _I'm sorry you have to see this, Ray._

"Defense, do you have anything to say?"

All eyes turned to the defense lawyer, who locked eyes with Leo. "Yes, your Honor. We believe that even if Leo did commit such heinous crimes, the reasoning behind them are too insane or wild to be considered logical with the crimes, and therefore should be sentenced to a minimum period of twenty-five years to life in prison or a mental institution without parole."

"Leo, please stand."

"You have been found guilty of several terrorist and criminal actions against humanity, and you must not take the following lightly. Due to the severity of your crimes, as well as the motive behind them, I hereby sentenced Leo Akaba to life in solitary confinement without eligibility for parole."

Immediately, outrage occurred in the court at the sentence, with some demanding that it was a mistrial. Leo couldn't believe his ears: solitary confinement for life? Unable to see his family or friends ever again?

"This case is adjourned. Order in the court!"

* * *

"Do you think Dad is doing all right now?"

Reiji looked up from his current work, seeing his older sister, Ray Akaba, looking down at the floor from her spot on the soft-cushioned couch. They were both in his office at the moment, with him filing various paperwork. She decided to help him since she would otherwise be bored out of her mind with nothing else to do.

Reiji pushed his glasses up. "I don't know. He hasn't called in over a week from the county jail."

Ray nodded slowly. "True..." She absently hugged a pillow in her arms. "It's been less than a month since the trial. The thought of Dad being in jail is hard enough to sit through."

It was true: since the hearing, the people around the four dimensions demanded for a retrial for a greater sentence. Some didn't see why he needed (or deserved) to be simply imprisoned lightly. They wanted him to suffer more for his actions, whether it be a long-prolonged death by lynching or execution, or to be caged and abused forever in a heavily secure steel prison on some island in the middle of nowhere.

As a result, his sentence was postponed for legal and safety reasons, mostly his. Leo was still allowed no visitors or relatives without heavy supervision, at least until he was transported to the appropriate prison institute.

Reiji looked up from his work. His eyes, while mostly clouded from view behind his glasses, showed some guilt. He knew Ray had a close connection with her father, more than him and their mother. He didn't know their history, and most of Himika's memories hadn't recovered since the split, so he tried to catch up on information of the past.

"That depends on how things play out from here on out," he replied. "However I won't say it was easy for any of us during that trial."

Ray shook her head solemnly in agreement. "I still don't understand why Dad went through the whole war just to bring me back. If he had just let me stay dead, he wouldn't have faced criminal charges and be put into jail..."

"The motive was simple." Reiji fixed his glasses again. "He wanted you back because he loved you."

Her gaze went downcast to the floor, twiddling her thumbs. "I know...but still. He took the lives of millions on my behalf. A past life at the cost of many present ones. That fact doesn't bode well with me."

Reiji understood her pain, his gaze softening in sympathy. "His actions were not commendable, nor should we overlook or rectify them. I won't forgive Leo for what he did to me or our mother earlier, for abandoning us many years ago when he had the opportunity to rekindle his relationships. But in the end, he did all what he did for the life and family he remembered, which is not...ignoble."

She looked up at him. "But I feel like it's my fault. If I didn't take those cards...if I didn't sacrifice to stop Zarc—!"

Reiji cut her off. "The guilt is not yours to bear. You did what you had to do back then to preserve whatever was left. You did what was right and necessary, and he did what was wrong and unnecessaru, but for a noble reason."

Ray knew that as well, but it didn't...feel right. A part of it was her fault, albeit unintentional. She sacrificed herself, leaving her father behind as a result.

If she hadn't used the En Nature cards, he would've left her behind and used them himself. He would end up the one dying in her stead, his soul split in pieces instead of hers. Back then, she considered that consequence as the worse of the two fates, but was now second-guessing herself. The whole situation was just _wrong._

All because of that choice.

All because of those cards.

 _And that was all because of Zarc._

Her fists balled in her lap, anger worming into her heart from the thought of that demon. Had he not went crazy in that World Championship duel tournament, the phenomenon that ended their lives and birthed the current four dimensions would have never happened. Had the Supreme King Dragon not been born, her hand wouldn't have been forced.

In the end, the tragedy, her father's actions and imprisonment, the cards, _every single evil since the split_...it was all because of Zarc.

 _This is all his fault! He ruined everything!_

It was true for her. Everything that happened, heck, even the whole existence of the four dimensions, stemmed from her choice to stop _him._ He was indirectly the cause of every evil in the four dimensions, and, to make matters even worse, still left rampant and unrestrained somewhere in the Pendulum Dimension. He was a constant danger to society and the whole universe.

If Zarc hadn't gone crazy, perhaps she and her father would still be together as a happy family.

 _And we would still have our original home..._ she added as an afterthought.

"You're right, Reiji," she replied in a calm tone, which was seething with tranquil anger. Reiji sensed the slight venom in her tone, his gaze narrowing slightly in apprehension. He knew she was struggling with the matter, but Ray wasn't thinking about their father at the moment, only on a certain evil villain. "It wasn't your actions or mine or even father's that started all of this tragedy. This is all _Zarc's_ fault."

He raised an eyebrow. "All of it?"

She growled, her fists clenched. "Yes. All of it..."

 _And once I find that demon, I'll make sure he pays DEARLY for it. Even with his own life if it comes to that!_

Reiji raised both eyebrows, surprised by the sudden change of tone in his sister's voice. "Sounds you like hold a deep grudge against Zarc, even more so than some of the Lancers."

Ray looked up at her brother; the fiery gleam in her eyes didn't go unnoticed. "He ruined my father's life. He ruined _my_ life and thousands of others..." Her knuckles started to turn white from how hard she was clenching them. "I wish I never met him..."

Reiji fixed his glasses. "I can't say I don't agree with you. Many of our allies feel the same as you after meeting Zarc."

"And with good reason," she replied. "I wish there was still something I can do about the current situation with him, but he's still missing. In the end, he really is nothing more than a dirty, rotten coward, probably waiting to ruin everyone's lives _again._ "

Reiji briefly glanced over the paperwork on his desk, his brow furrowed. "I sent in calls to law enforcement to keep looking for him. They caught some activity here and there, so they're slowly piecing his whereabouts together."

Ray nodded silently, reminiscing. "It's been what? A few months since that day?"

"You mean since the end of the war?"

"Yeah. And it's been around only a couple months, maybe two or three since I came back..." Ray sighed to herself. "Hard to believe so much has happened in such little time, especially after a long inter-dimensional war."

"Indeed, but there are some things that have too little progress," Reiji noted solemnly, checking over the papers in his hands, "such as our applications here." As the CEO of his father's company, he was going over some early-hour work at the desk, namely taking job applications from some of the students and staff in LDS. "You're more than welcome to help me go through with this."

Immediately, she perked up, all past anger about Zarc having dissipated into thin air. She originally went in to check up on her brother to make sure he was doing alright with the workload, as he was also coping with the sudden, grim incarceration of their father. Although, a part of her secretly wondered if she was doing it more to comfort herself.

"Sure, I can help!" She grabbed an adjacent chair, scooting it up till it rested on the opposite side of Reiji's desk. Ray then took the first application from the uneven stack, going through the information of the person and their wishful position.

Most would have found the prospect of a desk job to be an utterly dull prospect, however, for Ray, it was exactly what she needed to cope with the storm of emotions that had suffocated her after her father's revelations. So long as she was working, she could distract herself, burying her hatred, despair, and depression underneath sheet after sheet of paper work.

It was merely her means of coping.

Reiji, being the silent but insightful person that he was, seemed to perfectly understand what Ray was going through and had been the first to suggest her new job. He had said nothing about Leo, or what might happen to him, instead allowing Ray the time she needed to repair herself mentally with some meaningful work. It had felt good to Ray to be put to use, knowing that she was helping to keep the company stable and running smoothly. The Leo she knew had been like that, happiest when he was working to create something meaningful.

Now here she was, trying to do the same. At times, during the few moments when she wasn't working, she would think on this, wondering if she was somehow trying to keep the father she had known alive, by pretending to be like the man she had admired. Occasionally she would find herself breaking down and crying again, only to forcefully wipe away her tears and find some more work to do.

Blessedly, this was not one of those times. She and her brother were merely going through new work applications for LDS.

"Masumi Kotsu is applying as an assistant instructor for the Fusion course," Reiji mused, looking over the teenage girl's application. "This while she is also studying in the Xyz course, trying to broaden her horizons. Ambitious and determined, has a strong will and sharp intellect, but I wonder if she is biting off more than she can chew. Your thoughts?"

"Assistant instructor for Fusion?" Ray looked over the resume that was laid flat on the table between them. "Well, would she be able to have enough time to finish her studies in Xyz while teaching the Fusion curriculum?"

"She is one of our highest-performing students here," Reiji explained, "the top in her class of Fusion Summoning. However, whether or not she has both the skill and _patience_ to teach is another matter entirely."

"How much teaching experience does she have?" Ray prodded.

"None," Reiji nonchalantly replied. "Nor am I entirely convinced that she is applying for the position in the first place solely out of a desire to teach."

He glanced at a picture of Professor Marco before shaking his head. He knew the truth all too well.

Ray glanced at the picture before nodding silently in agreement, cracking a small smile and understanding the hesitation in her brother's decision. She had met the young lady recently and heard rumors about her crush on the professor. Marco, thankfully, did nothing inappropriate or wrong, keeping his conduct completely professional, but it still caused Ray to pause as she considered the situation.

"She's a senior this year and expanding her horizons nonetheless," the woman summarized. "I don't think we want to discourage Masumi's academic and career pursuits, but perhaps we can assign her to work with a different professor to lessen the possibility of any inappropriate incidents happening."

Reiji nodded his head in agreement, making some notes and calling one of his secretaries to take care of the various necessary forms.

Ray leaned back in her chair, brushing a little sweat from her forehead. Since her stay in LDS (and the Standard Dimension as a whole), she was starting to get the hang of how things ran around the area. Outside of the trial with her father, she felt a bit at ease with Miami City and her new resurrected life.

In a way, she could see how their current home was a brighter, more hopeful and optimistic version of the Original Dimension. There was less crime and violence. Dueling was still a major part of society life as before, and it was once more upgraded into an evolved form due to the Solid Vision system, but the duels wasn't marked with blood or fought like gladiatorial battles. She always hated that darker aspect of it.

Not to mention there was still a deranged, world-destroying psychopath running loose somewhere in the city.

Rather, there were so many more opportunities and career choices for one to consider in the world of Dueling. One of the few that intrigued her the most was Entertainment Dueling. Reiji mentioned the pioneer from time to time, Yusho Sakaki, and how the new style of Dueling had changed the world for a better, brighter future.

Ray noted it to be a stark contrast to the past violence for entertainment, instead winning over the crowds with smiles and shows. The idea of it was relieving, to say the least, and hopefully it would stay this way.

"How is You Show Duel School doing?" Ray asked, pouring over a few more sheets of paper.

Reiji raised an eyebrow, glancing up to her with sharp eyes. "It appeared that the reveal of Yusho and his son's actions in the war had increased the school's popularity. Last I heard from Yuya, they were nearly bursting at the seams with new students. There's almost no room left in the school for any future applications."

Ray felt herself smile. So some good things were catching up with all the evil that's been polluting the air. _Perhaps humanity had changed for the better,_ she could only hope.

"These people's records check out," Ray reported before glancing down at her watch. It was still late in the morning, a little before noon. "I'm going out for a walk. I'll be back in about an hour if that's alright with you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Where to?"

"Just...somewhere." She playfully smiled at him. "You don't have to know where I am all the time."

"I'm your brother."

"My _little_ brother."

Reiji shrugged and returned to his work, trying to act casual from the remark, but Ray knew better. She almost wondered if Reiji would send Nakajima to tail her from the shadows, just in case. He never liked to leave things to chance, and he had been very worried for her since she learned of Dad's past. It was heartwarming for him to preserve his relationship with her and to keep an eye out for danger, but she wasn't a little kid.

Reiji didn't need to worry too much, Ray could take care of herself. She wasn't planning on doing anything reckless or dangerous, just a small aimless stroll down the road. However, before she could fully make up her mind on what to do, her stomach suddenly growled loudly.

"Make that a walk and a lunch break." She told Reiji. "I'm going to try that new Panini place."

In all honesty, she was feeling adventurous today. She wanted to try out a new shop near Main Street; it was only a few blocks down from LDS corporation and there had been plenty of positive reviews of the food and stellar customer service. After everything that had happened since her return, a delicious sandwich would relieve some of her nerves.

And maybe afterwards, she'll stop by You Show Duel School to check up on her new friends.

 _I want to see how Yusho and Yuya are doing. Plus, if they could show me what their Entertainment Dueling looks like, that would be really nice too._ She hadn't met Yusho personally, but heard a few stories from his son, Yuya. The boy was a cheerful and optimistic soul, and if his stories about his father indicated anything, Yusho was a good, endearing man with a kind heart, a close friend of her own father...

Her cheery demeanor faded away slightly. Why did she have to remember that specific detail now?

"Shall I expect you back in two hours, then?" Reiji dryly asked, snapping her out of her thoughts with a wry smile resting on his features.

"I don't enjoy Panini's that much, but I heard so many good things about this chain," Ray replied with a smile. "See you soon!"

Reiji gave a half-hearted nod in her direction before returning to do all the applications himself. "Have a nice day, Ray."

The woman, having reached the office door by then, shook her head. "You know you can call me 'sis' or 'sister.' We...are siblings after all."

"Noted."

"You still didn't say it."

"Noted...sister," Reiji replied, sounding like it had taken him significant effort to be less formal. His smile thinned slightly when he recalled one important thing. "And be careful of paparazzi. They'll know who you are since the trial, so be sure to stay safe."

She nodded in return; a hoodie would suffice as a disguise just in case things took a turn for the worse outside.

Ray gave Reiji a kiss on the forehead before exiting the office and heading to her room to change her clothes. To hide from any possible threats (mainly reporters) who might recognize her normal attire and appearance, she donned a plain hoodie and jeans and undid her pigtails to let the hair flow down her shoulders and back. Checking herself over in the mirror to make sure everything looked orderly, the woman left her quarters and walked leisurely towards the school's main elevator down to the bottom floor. Once out of the building, she briefly straightened her hair before setting out for the early afternoon.

* * *

It was a pleasant day. The sun was out, with a thin layer of clouds in the sky, making it bright, but not too hot. The trees were flourishing, bright green leaves soaking in the light, and the streets were alive with the activity of honking cars, chatting pedestrians, and barking dogs. In a way, it reminded Ray of her home dimension from so long ago.

 _It was so sunny back then as well,_ she reminisced with a forlorn feeling in her heart. As much as she didn't like the violence and evils created by the people in the Original Dimension...it still was home to her. Home to her father and friends...

"Father."

Ray didn't feel her hand going down to her pocket, pulling out four cards to examine. It was the En Nature Cards, the very spells used to defeat Zarc once and for all. Leo handed her the cards before his trial, his solemn words still ringing in her mind.

 _Whatever you do, please protect your family in my stead, dear daughter. Forget me and our past life. Live in this new world, give it a chance, marry, have kids. Don't make the same mistakes I did, Ray. I love you._

It was her father's last gift to her, but he didn't ask her to solely destroy Zarc. In the end, all he wanted was his family, to protect and love them.

But Leo's mind was too clouded with prejudice against the new worlds, abandoned his wife and son, and lived in mental solitude to build an army that would be brainwashed in thinking they were creating a "utopia" through war. How horrible it was to think that he couldn't have seen the beauty around him. He had tried to bring back their home, and now he would be taken away from this home, likely forever.

Ray felt immense guilt well up in her heart, sympathetic yet still furious with her father. She couldn't excuse his actions, but his goals were noble like her brother had explained, sentimental even. He just wanted his life and family back, much like any other father. He didn't feel like he belonged in the new worlds; they weren't real to him. His reasons were irrational, yet understandable...

But his actions were unjustifiable. And now he was being punished _rightfully_ for them.

One tear fell from her eye down her cheek, but Ray didn't bother to wipe it away, only pocketing the cards again in her deck capsule. Her father was a villain, a tragic one at that. And now everything was being taken away from him _again_...

Ray placed herself in his shoes for a moment. Life had been incredibly cruel to Leo Akaba and his family. It had taken so much from him and he went to extremes to get at least some of what mattered to him back, but in doing so he had taken so much from so many others...it was truly ironic.

But what else could he do? Accept his current life in the new world and forget about her? In a way, Ray had hoped for him to do just that: forget the old world, forget about the past, forget _her._ Maybe then he would start anew with his wife and Reiji, continue leading his successful corporation, and never worry about the past again.

 _So why couldn't he do it? Why did he forsake all he had just for an unachievable dream?_

Reiji's words immediately answered through her head. _Because he loved you._ All because of love for his family.

Of course. It was because he cared too much, just as much as she cared too much for him to do what she did. That led to their demises; hers was at the cost of death, and his...the cost of freedom.

It wasn't fair. Then again, so was life. It was cruel and unyielding to good and well-intentioned souls.

Ray's shoulders shook slightly as she made her way down the street. She was oblivious to her surroundings, lost too deep in her thoughts.

The world could have ended once again and nothing could have brought Ray out of the whirlpool of emotions swirling within her. Sadness, anger, and confusion were just some of the feelings spiraling around inside her mind, threatening to tear her already fragile mindscape into little pieces.

Stopping in the middle of everything, she turned to see her reflection in a store window. Once upon a time, many years ago, a strong-willed, young girl willing to sacrifice her life and dignity for the world stared back, her eyes filled with confidence and hope. However, now all Ray saw was the broken form of an older, despondent woman who carried nothing but a burden of despair and troubles upon her shoulders, a burden that seemed to grow larger with each passing moment.

 _This is why I shouldn't even exist in this world. I saved the world once, but at what cost?_

At what cost indeed. She couldn't recognize herself in the glass, not that young woman who sacrificed herself to save everyone. She didn't belong here. Miami City will never be her true home, nor would it ever know the sacrifices her family had to make to live.

Continuing down the street, Ray turned her focus to a group of school children all playing ahead. Their light-hearted laughs and pure exclamations, a symbol of childhood innocence, while being engrossed in their game would have brought a smile to Ray's face in the past, but now she simply walked past them with a depressed look.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ray spotted the Panini place, but despite the grumbling of her stomach she had suddenly lost her appetite. The negative thoughts nagging at her head had forcibly removed her hunger and replaced it with a heaviness that anchored itself deep in her chest.

She knew how her father felt, not belonging in a new world, almost unrecognizable. The Original Dimension, despite its _many_ flaws...was still home.  
Now destroyed. Gone forever.

Replaced by this mere _copy_ of a world.

 _Homesick, huh?_ She resisted the urge to chuckle; genuine laughter seemed almost impossible for her to do now. Even with all the happiness and warmth around her surroundings, as if urging her to wear a wide smile and be cheery, Ray felt cold and empty inside.

Resolved to try to take her mind off her own negative feelings, Ray decided to go into Panini anyway. Even if she had lost her appetite for the moment, perhaps focusing on something more lively will bring it back. She did leave Reiji alone to take a break from stress, not to linger in it.

As she walked into the store and got into line, keeping her head low in case anyone were to see her face, delicious smells filled her nose: freshly grilled bread, various cheeses, and many other things she couldn't decipher. But they incited her senses and hunger exponentially, making her mouth water a bit; the food smelled _scrumptious._

Moving forward in the queue, a sudden commotion at the entrance of the restaurant caught the attention of Ray's ears. Turning around, she gasped internally at the sight of the people that had just walked in. Apparently, the place was more popular than she imagined at first.

"Hello and welcome to Panini's Bakery and Store!" greeted the employee at the register. He was a young man with bright turquoise eyes and shaggy darker blue hair, no older than Ray, with a bright airy attitude on his still youthful features. His waiter outfit was messy with food stains from the dayshift so far. "What can I get for you today, friend?"

"Well..." pondered Ray, staring at the menu board. As she did so, she felt herself slipping out of focus, her mind drifting back to the negative thoughts she had been having all day.

He noticed her dilemma and took it as her being unable to make a decision on what to eat. "First-timer, huh? Mind if I recommend one of our house specials?" replied the worker. "Today we have a grilled chicken panini sandwich with iceberg lettuce, pepper jack cheese, and a rich housemade barbecue sauce. It's a fan favorite of our customers!"

"Okay, I'll do that." Her expression was passive, not really listening to what the young man was saying. Noticing the sad monotone in his customer's voice, the young man looked directly into Ray's eyes, immediately noticing the fractured look within them.

"Hey...are you okay?" the employee questioned, suddenly concerned. "You seem really spaced out."

Ray blinked once, twice, soon returning her mind to the present. "Huh? Oh...I-I'm alright."

"You sure?" The man loosed an uneasy chuckle, trying to strike up a conversation. She didn't hear him, nor anyone else. But the clerk noticed her distressed features, growing more concerned for her. "You really okay? Do you need some water or a place to sit?"

Ray nodded absentmindedly, walking over to a corner booth. She sat down and stared into her clasped hands, oblivious to the world around her.

Watching the troubled girl sit, the employee became filled with worry. "Hey, Shinya," he called, turning to a coworker that just walked through the door, "can you take over for me real quick here? I need to take care of something urgent right now."

"Yeah, sure thing, Hiroshi," Shinya replied, taking his fellow employee's place behind the register. "Don't take up too long, customers don't like waiting!"

"Thanks a million, friend," he replied with a wide grin, immediately walking briskly from behind the counter to the two small doors, pushing past them to meet up with Ray. He slid down on the seat opposite of hers, taking off his hat to wipe a few beads of sweat from his forehead. She had her hands folded on the table, struggling not to let her depression get to her.

Hiroshi smiled weakly. "Rough morning, I guess?"

Looking up, Ray simply nodded. "Busy with work, going over family troubles, having a lot on my mind for now."

"That's very relatable," he continued, feeling sympathetic for her. "I've had to break up two fights outside already and one of my coworkers had her eyebrows singed off by the gas burner."

Now that caught her attention. Surprised and somewhat intrigued by the story, the woman gave him an incredulous look under her hood, making the young man smirk.

"True story! Shinya and Ryuk were squabbling over some matter about an ex-girlfriend or whatnot...I don't remember all the details. One thing led to another, and suddenly...burn. Poor Tina. But they still get up and going anyway, no matter how many arguments or eyebrows they go through."

"With everything that's going on right now with my life, it's hard to remember that stuff like that still happens," admitted Ray.

"Everyone hits _that_ point where they've hit rock bottom," he replied, sympathy in his voice. "But you know, when you're at the bottom you can only go up. What's been going on?"

Ray was tempted to tell her new friend (wow, she only met him in the past few minutes), but struggled against her conscience. What could she say anyway? That her father was the infamous Leo Akaba, going to prison for commiting almost mass genocide in another world? She would most likely be labeled a lunatic.

She fumbled a bit on what to tell him. "Um...it's...complicated."

Hiroshi nodded. "Again, that's understandable. We all have complicated lives and matters to deal with one way or another. I myself had to deal with the neighbor's cat sneaking into my house the other day."

Ray couldn't help but giggle from the thought. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah. He really riled up poor Hachi."

"Who's Hachi?"

"My Shikoku pup. Poor little fella was barking up a storm."

"Ohhh, that makes sense." She twiddled her thumbs for a moment, her eyes taking a sudden interest to the lines carved in the table. "I can't really explain it..."

Hiroshi took it with stride. "Then you don't have to. Just know that whatever it is you're going through, if you're ever ready to talk about it, you got me here as an ear."

She raised her head with an incredulous look on her face. "Wow. You would...really do that? Even though we just met?"

Hiroshi laughed. "Sure I would! I don't mind helping any good person out!" He offered his hand out as a greeting gesture, his cheeks blushing a faint red. "I'm just your average cashier boy, but I don't mind being a friend as well...if you'll let me, that is."

Blinking once, Ray looked down at his hand, blinked again, then back at Hiroshi's smiling face again. Was he really being genuine in helping her out, or was this some sort of trick? She decided not to dwell on it too much and reject the kind offer, taking his hand after some hesitation.

"Um...thanks."

"Things will get better, you'll see." Hiroshi smiled back, before he heard his friend call him from behind the counter. He sounded rather flustered too.

"Yo, HIRO! You coming back? The line's getting pretty long here, and I don't have enough hands! HEEELP!"

Sure enough, there was a line of customers nearly reaching the door from the front counter. The young man cursed to himself, immediately rising from his seat. "Well, sorry I can't be of much service sadly."

Ray waved him off. "That's alright. The few minutes you did use to talk to me did cheer me up a little."

"Then glad to be of service!"

The young woman then stood from her seat. "In fact, I feel well enough to order that daily special you mentioned..."

Hiroshi smiled wider. "Alright, coming right up!" Making an about-face turn, he immediately moved back through the door he had exited through to the second register.

Ray was left alone on the booth, left in slightly higher spirits than before. She glanced at the waiter boy as he called over half of the customers in line to help his buddy, and started taking the first order. At least there were still some people in the world who were genuinely kind-hearted.

 _Glad to know this dimension still has some good in them,_ Ray mused as she got in his line, her appetite having returned with a vengeance. _And some of the residents are really nice despite everything. Hiroshi seems really attentive and willing to listen. Even if this isn't my true home...I can give the Pendulum Dimension, and Miami City specifically, a chance to be one._

However, before she could even get her spot at the front counter, an ear-piercing shriek, reminiscent of a banshee or car alarm, rang through the air and disturbed the peace. Almost everyone in the shop flinched from the scream and looked around for the source.

Startled, Ray too jumped in surprise and slight fear and immediately looked around for the source of the noise. Judging from how loud it was, she was expecting to see several other people reacting since it was within earshot of the building, but surprisingly enough, everyone was still mostly normal...

They were all bewildered as her, however. Whispers and worried comments of the shriek were soon exchanged among the customers.

"What was that?"

"Did anyone else hear that scream just now?"

"It sounded like an animal in pain...or a giant bird!"

Ray shuddered a bit. There was something about that shriek that sounded hauntingly familiar, like she knew who it belonged to. _That shriek...it sounds like a Duel Monster!_

It soon returned, albeit a little quieter and more forlorn than before. Ray furrowed her brow in suspicion; she knew there was trouble if a Duel Monster was about. Especially if said culprit sounded like they were in pain, or desperate for something.

 _It's fading. The monster must be moving away._

Despite common sense telling her to return to LDS and report to her brother, Ray decided to go investigate for herself, unable to shake off the feeling that she heard that screech before from somewhere else. But Hiroshi called out her order anyway and diverted her attention, winking goofily before saying it was on the house.

Somewhat thankful and yet frustrated for the temporary delay, Ray took her panini to go and hurried to the door, nearly slamming it open. She hoped she could still spot the monster before it got too far away to follow...

 _It sounded pretty close by the first time. I should be able to find it._

When she stepped outside, she looked around at the streets and up at the sky for any sign of the monster. The little diner had a nearby alley behind itself, one that Ray quickly caught her eye on. It was harrowingly empty and dirty beyond comparison, but that didn't dissuade her curiosity.

 _I wonder if anything is back there?_

As if to answer her question, another shriek echoed in the air and the monster who owned it came circling from above. Rae gasped when she looked up and recognized its dark, winged frame and sharp jaw. It was unmistakable.

One of Zarc's monsters. "Dark Rebellion?!"

The dark-scaled dragon didn't hear her as he unleashed another piercing shriek, reminiscent of an alarm. He sounded distressed, like he was crying out for help, yet a brash undertone of anger laced itself in his cry. His circling suggested that he was searching for someone, which didn't go unnoticed by other occupants on the street.

"What is that thing?"

"Is it some kind of mecha dragon?"

"No, it's a Duel Monster hologram!"

"Someone get the police or the Lancers!"

Ray ignored the attention that Dark Rebellion received, hearing more of his desperate cries. "I wonder who he's looking for?"

The dragon soared higher and higher into the air, even charging up his wings to gain a higher altitude. He did a three-sixty degree turn, scouring the rooftops and skies of the perpetrator. More wails and screams escaped his throat, which was becoming raw and hoarse from the strain.

But Dark Rebellion still persisted in his quest, circling one last loop in the skies and screaming at the top of his lungs before hearing the doeful cries of his brethren. With a heavy heart and sorrow in his soul, knowing what had just happened, the dragon dived back down into the alley. He disappeared out of sight from everyone below, leaving some citizens in fear and other in curiosity of his appearance...save for Ray.

She tracked his trail and decided to follow him. The dragons were close to that demon, meaning that if she followed his tracks, he would inevitably lead her to Zarc and his hiding place. _Perhaps I can finally catch him and end this once and for all._

Her mind made up, Ray trailed after the dragon as he flew into the alleyway, hovering for a brief moment. Dark Rebellion whined softly, pitifully, as if hoping the news weren't true. With a single flap of his wings, he swooped down at the other end of the passage towards the back.

The woman noticed he dived a little ways behind the diner, smirking to herself. "Zarc must be there."

The dragon was still crying, no longer screaming loudly since his vocal chords were rubbed raw. His sad shrieks, sounding like a whale's bellow, became quieter and quieter until he descended to the back walls of the alley.

Ray immediately sprinted after him without thinking, following the dark dragon all the way down to the hideout. He disappeared over a few buildings here and there, leaving her to take a corner or jump over a fence to keep up. Coming upon a dirty, abandoned part of the alley, close to a nearby sidewalk corner at the end of the block, she cautiously took a step forward, squinting her eyes in an attempt to peek inside the seemingly empty area.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" She knew Zarc was right here, right in this alley. He had to be.

Ray knew it in her heart. She took a few more steps into the alley, looking around a bit before pausing when she heard a small chorus of whimpers and whines, reminding her of a pack of dogs. They sounded very familiar to her ears, the tones low, forlorn and heavy with grief. Holding her breath to hear the noises better and pinpoint the exact source, she walked further into the area, her heart thumping loudly against her eardrums.

The crying didn't stop or waver, only intensified in volume and emotion as she scooted closer. For some reason, Ray's controlling thoughts of revenge against Zarc slowly changed into apprehension and sympathy at the sounds. _Did something happen back here?_

After maneuvering around a dumpster and several trash cans, she saw Dark Rebellion and the other three dragons huddled around a motionless figure on the ground. The latter three were looking at him and rumbling deep tones, as though asking him about something. Dark Rebellion whined and lowered his gaze, shaking his head sadly. Even his bladed wings drooped and scraped against the ground in defeat.

The other three dragons also lowered their heads in anguish, unable to keep the pain in anymore. Stretching their heads out, the four howled into the air the most sorrowful, heart-wrenching, despairing cry in their lives.

Ray was watching the whole scene from afar, confused and also sad. Acting against her better judgement, she stepped out of the shadows and made a move to approach the dragons to perhaps try to help their ailment, but failed to notice the debris on the alley until it was too late. Her foot crushed down on a crumpled soda can on the ground, making her wince from the crackling noise.

Their heads snapped down from the sound, whipping around at her direction. Even with her simple disguise, they recognized the scent of that enemy _anywhere._

She stared back at them like a deer caught in headlights, her heart giving a frightened leap against her chest. This wasn't good. "Hello..."

The dragons hissed at her; of all the people who would come to them now, it had to be her, their worst _enemy._ The dreaded woman who split their body up and separated them from their master.

 _That woman and those evil cards caused our master too much pain._

And she had to be here now, when they were brought down to their absolute lowest. Did fate have to be so cruel to them?

Starve Venom was the first to act, his sorrow turned into misplaced _wrath_. He took a threatening step forward while raising his flytrap vines and opening their mouths, snapping all of them in tandem to show he meant business. He snarled viciously at the woman, stalking her like a jaguar hunting down its prey.

Ray, though slightly intimidated by the killing intent in his eyes, stood her ground against the poisonous dragon. She pulled out her deck and duel disk, wary of whether he was going to make the first move or not.

"Easy now..." She eyed the angry dragon, taking a step back whenever he moved a paw forward. Eventually tired of the game, Starve Venom roared ferociously when she clamped her duel disk on her wrist and inserted her cards in its deck slot. With the wall behind her, she stopped in her tracks for a moment. "Stand down, Starve Venom, or I'll put you down."

 _Don't do anything rash, Ray._

The Fusion dragon still didn't move, foaming at the mouths. Instead, he took her threat with more anger, soon charging at the woman with all of his pent-up fury and raving like a wild, rabid animal.

 _She must DIE!_

Ray ducked away from his flytraps, then jumped to the side when he swiped at her with his sharp claws. She dodged a second flytrap, which immediately provided her a clear view of the scene behind Starve Venom for a brief moment.

The other dragons were eying her with wary glares too, but they were more defensive and made no move to join their comrade in battle. Ray knew they didn't want her anywhere near them, evident by the hissing and growling echoing from deep in their throats, but something was off. Their bodies were crouched, backs curled and Clear Wing's shining appendages draped over something...

It was hard to see mostly as the dragons were huddled around it, but Ray suddenly felt a wave of cold air rush through her. She shivered in apprehension, suddenly suspicious of the scene. What was that they were protecting?

She nearly missed Starve Venom charging at her again in that moment, his mouths raving with poison and saliva. With blazing green eyes filled with wrath, the dragon nearly managed to bite her head off had Ray not been quick enough. Since his mind was too clouded by blind hate and anger to see his surroundings clearly, she used one of her spells to pacify the dragon.

Finding himself weakened, Starve Venom roared in pain when he felt the card effects attack his body and immediately started to back off away from her, which gave Ray enough time to reach the other dragons unscathed.

They immediately went on the defensive with Odd Eyes wrapping his tail protectively around the object, which was still kept obscured from Ray's sight. All three roared angrily at the woman to stay away from them, to get out of the alley and leave them to wallow alone in grief.

She raised her hands in a form of defense and slight reassurance, hoping that they would accept the peaceful gesture. "Please calm down. I'm not here to hurt you..."

But the dragons were extremely frightened and angry at the sight of her, beyond the point of being reasoned with. They were incredibly protective for their own sakes and their master's...

Ray readied her duel disk again when the other three started charging up their own respective attacks. Odd Eyes formed his signature fiery Spiral Strike blast, Clear Wing's wings shined like crystals with wind gathering up around his body, and Dark Rebellion charged lightning in his black wings. All three aimed them directly at the woman, hoping to finish off their enemy in one blast...

They all roared angrily at her, but she knew something was wrong.

 _I can sense they're scared, angry too, but not solely at me..._ She thought back to Dark Rebellion's earlier cries for help. _What or who has them so spooked?_

For now, they were almost completely unreasonable with her. Ray was forced to put them down temporarily if she were to get any clues on what happened in the alley.

She readied three more spells in her hand. "Sorry about this..." Her eyes determined, a simple swipe slid them all in her duel disk.

There was a loud crack as her duel disk activated the spells, followed by bright bolts of energy lashing out and striking the dragons with direct force. They were all pushed back with shrieks of terror and pain ringing in the air. Starve Venom, who lay dazed behind her, forced himself on his feet when he heard his comrades' cries from the spells.

He glanced down at the ground, seeing the attacks had fully exposed their secret much to their dismay.

Seeing the dragons staring down at the fallen form, Ray slowly and cautiously moved forward until she was close enough to examine the identity in full view. She gasped in surprise, eyes widening in their sockets when she recognized who it was...

"Zarc...?"

Her heart skipped a beat. It was his _body._

The demon was dirty and emaciated, not appearing to have eaten in days, and his pants, the only article of clothing on him, were tattered and worn. He was laying on his right side haphazardly against a recycle bin, with caked blood covering his wing and abdomen; the latter was cut open to give a semi-clear view of his insides, which was squeamish to look at. The former was bent at an odd angle at the first joint, obviously broken and almost dangling off of his shoulder. More fresh blood slowly poured into a murky puddle on the dirty concrete underneath his form.

What grabbed her attention the most was his ghastly expression. His eyes were still open, half-mast and glazed over, his matted green-red hair reaching past his shoulders. However, the contorted features on his face revealed nothing but terror and fear.

Ray, after seeing the blood and getting over the shock, placed two fingers to Zarc's neck. Her eyes hardened at the lack of a pulse, which only confirmed her suspicions.

He was dead.

 _Just as I wished for._ For some reason, she felt sick to her stomach. But what puzzled her mind were the wounds on his body; they were unusual if they originated from natural causes.

The poison dragon cursed to himself. If his death wasn't bad enough, if bacteria seeped into Zarc's blood from the dirt and grime on the ground, it will make his body decompose from the inside out. He had to stop his master's condition from worsening.

Deciding that Ray couldn't really hurt Zarc as the damage had already been done, the dragons reluctantly moved their bodies aside so she could reach him, no longer having the spirit to resist her advances. Their friend was dead, and they were now alone on their own in grief.

As they gave her room, a corner of sunlight glinted down on something long and metal near one of the dumpsters at the edge of the alley, right next to the street corner and sidewalks. Ray's sharp eye quickly caught on the shine, squinting a bit as her curiosity got the better of her.

"What is that?" She walked towards the green dumpster, leaning forward for a closer look at the object.

Starve Venom also turned, wary yet also agog of what she might've discovered. Hovering slowly toward her form, growling lowly lest she made any sudden moves to attack, the dragon peered over her shoulder and noticed the metal object. It was a beautiful double-edged sword with a fancy gold handle, reminiscent to that of a knight's from medieval times or a legendary weapon of a mythological warrior figure.

He recognized it immediately, roaring angrily. The smell of his master's blood as well as the stench of the intruder, the memory of its blade lashing in the air, the sharp cries of pain that followed soon after, Starve Venom knew this was the weapon.

The one used to slay the dragon.

The one used to kill Zarc without mercy.

Sensing his anger, Ray looked down at the sword carefully and examined it in close detail. It has a small tint of blood on the silver, still very fresh on the sharp blade. Thinking back to the bleeding, open wounds in Zarc's corpse, she put two and two together.

 _He was stabbed._ It wasn't hard to figure it out. _Someone killed him. That's why the dragons are in distress._

It also explained why Dark Rebellion was screeching and making laps in the sky around the city: he was trying to find help for Zarc or find the culprit who killed him. But now he was dead and the killer was nowhere to be seen. Zarc's reign of terror was finally over with his death.

But to meet such a pathetic end? Or leaving the dragons behind on their own? That didn't bode well with Ray.

The dragons understood their situation, each lying down around his form and resting their heads next to him. They wept in silence, saying their own goodbyes in their hearts and promising to remember him forever. They couldn't live without him, not without his love and protection for their safety.

Perhaps death would be kind to them too. Then at least Zarc wouldn't be alone in the afterlife.

With the dragons too enveloped in their mourning, and Ray too puzzled to make heads or tails of the morality of the situation, none of them noticed the sounds of people approaching or the cries of police sirens wailing in the distance. Nor were any of them prepared of what happened next, as four certain cards in Ray's deck pulsed with power...

* * *

 **And done! Whew...cliffhanger. I changed a few things in past chapters, so if you think you see any inconsistencies (such as the sword), it has been changed in the past to accommodate. No worries.**

 **SORRY IF THE TRIAL SCENE IS AWKWARD. I did a mock trial back in my middle school years (got to be a witness for defense and an attorney for prosecution), so this is my first time trying to write one from the little experience I have/know. Had to use scripts online, so if there are errors legally, forgive my mistakes (especially with leading questions). I will keep editing the chapter to fix them. ;)**

 **After that, we leave the question: what happened to Zarc?**

 **This scene here (at least when it was originally from both Zarc's and Ray's perspectives) is actually one of the main scenes that sorta kickstarted the whole story. So yeah, a lot of development went into this. Time to answer reviews:**

 ** _To Ulrich362: XD Yeah, Yugo and Yuri are going through a lot and definitely got their hands full. We'll see if they pull through their situations or not. Hoped you enjoyed this chapter!_**

 ** _To Epsilon Tarantula: Well, Leo's head isn't on a pike, but he got his just desserts coming. :) Yugo, Yuri, they got stuff to do too._**

 ** _To Yuka Kuroshiro: HAHA, yep._**

 ** _To fanfic meister: Had to do a segment for every_** ** _Yu-boy. :D_**

 ** _To KuriMaster13: Had to mix things up a bit. Dedicating a chapter to each You-boy would've taken too much time, and doing three Yu-boys in one chapter would be...yeah, very divided. XD Anyway, Yugo is Yugo, Yuri is Yuri, and now we have a new challenge here._**

 ** _To Chaos Pulsar: Yugo can't have just his duel uniform. Otherwise, it'll stink too much. And Yuri loves having fun. ;)))))_**

 ** _To Ghostkid33: Thank Donny, master of free writing and parodies galore. And also thank you for your help with this chapter!_**

 ** _To ScalchopWarrior: XD Yep, things are definitely changing._**

 ** _To Oblivian03: We'll get more adventures with Yugo and Yuri in the future. For now, poor fellas. They'll have to pull through._**

 ** _To Guest: Ahhh, thank you so much! Glad the character interactions were alright, and don't worry, this story ain't gonna tear me down. XD_**

 ** _To HOUSTON: Those questions may/may not be answered in future chapters. Till then, my lips are sealed._**

 ** _To The PLOThand: Hmmm...I don't think he'll play with her deck, but will definitely keep it close to him. And cool._**

 ** _To A-Aron: HAHA, thank you! I'm trying to explore Zarc's character more with this story and the mythos behind his birthright as the Supreme King. The story will hopefully expand a lot on his past and many other things._**

 **Thanks for all the kind reviews, everyone! Hopefully, this chapter did justice after a LONG wait period, and I'll have all semester to write the next one.** **So until then, CTA out and Lord be with you! :D**


	10. Author's Notes: IMPORTANT

**Hello, fellow writers and Arc-V readers. I am sadly not here to bring a new chapter. I have an announcement to make.**

 **Now, the announcement is NOT me abandoning this story. This has been my dream child for a few years since Zarc's reveal, and I truly want to see this planned out to its full potential as hopefully my headcanon version of the continuation of the Arc-V series. HOWEVER, I have been discouraged with this story on a few occasions:**

 **One: the chapters to me are riddled with errors or lack of detail. I am dissatisfied with them, and that is based on a few reasons. My vision for this story is mostly solid although I keep getting new ideas as time goes on, ideas that I wish to incorporate into the story. Sadly, some of those ideas require past chapters to be changed, which is time-consuming in of itself. I am technically a VERY picky writer when it comes to writing my own stuff. Therefore, one day I can be happy with my chapter, the next be extremely picky about it.**

 **(It also doesn't help that my chapters are still technically rough drafts.)**

 **Second: it is difficult to find Arc-V writers or readers who have both time and dedication to help. I hate asking for help usually on the basis that I feel guilty when I can't pull my weight in the first place either because of time or lack of will. I am aware my friends here are very busy with their own schedules and stories, and my RPs with Ghostkid33 have been some help with ideas. However, I do miss the days when I can collaborate back and forth with other writers, and that largely played a factor in my passion for writing. I struggle writing things out alone. And with my college work taking up most of my free time _every week_ , it's also why this story hasn't been updated in ALMOST a full year. **

**And third: I don't feel like this story has the solid impact as it does in my vision. It doesn't feel emotive or realistic. It doesn't even really feel like it deserves a T rating. Most of the reasons I have already listed why, but I really want to deliver this, and inwardly it feels like I haven't accomplished that. I know I can write this. I just need more...incentive. More help.**

 **SO I am going to...revise this. Now, my ideas for the past chapters will remain, BUT there will be quite a few changes. This month will be approaching the two-year anniversary of when this story was first published by younger me with less experience. I now have more ideas and I wish to flesh them out. I have been able to talk with some seasoned writers over the past couple months (and no, I still don't have a consistent partner outside of Ghostkid33, it was literally just some small talk on Discord that HAS been a huge help), and it's been making me think on some things. I know this has its flaws, so I wish to try to start it over. Make the transitions more _natural._ Give the characters more _depth._**

 **The structure of this story will change. For one, it will be divided into multiple parts. I have imagined this to always be a huge project that would take years. But breaking it down into separate "books" (or stories on here) would lay the overall outline out. Each book will have the same "When Darkness Falls" title, but will each carry an ARC of the overall story. The vision was an overall five arcs (because get it? Arc-V? Five arcs? Yeah, my humor is dead) of about twenty chapters each.**

 **The prologue will be its own separate story. Maybe a one to three chapter snippet of laying everything out. Again, it may be similar to the prologue here, but I do wish to make some changes that help establish the overall setting of the story. I think this layout along with the five arc plan would make things a lot easier.**

 **I also ask for help. I know some of you are avid readers and writers, so I will ask that if ANYONE wishes to help with the story, even for a single chapter, shoot me a PM. It would be cool if this can become a community project or a dual-writer project, whichever works. And this extends to all my friends on other platforms. :)**

 **Thank you all for the adventure so far. I will be copying the chapter files to my computer for safe-keeping and whatnot. As for the revised prologue of the story, I will hopefully get that up sometime before the end of the year. When that is up and the chapter files all stored, I will delete this story. Again, I still have my vision, but I can't write it all out alone. I hope you all understand, and God bless!**


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